Paulo N. Lopes

Emotional intelligence, personality, and the perceived quality of social relationships

This study explored links between emotional intelligence, measured as a set of abilities, and personality traits, as well as the contribution of both to the perceived quality of ones interpersonal relationships. In a sample of 103 college students, we found that both emotional intelligence and personality traits were associated with concurrent self-reports of satisfaction with social relationships. Individuals scoring highly on the managing emotions subscale of the Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), were more likely to report positive relations with others, as well as perceived parental support, and less likely to report negative interactions with close friends. These associations remained statistically significant even controlling for significant Big Five personality traits and verbal intelligence. Global satisfaction with ones relationships was associated with extraversion, neuroticism (negatively), and the ability to manage ones emotions, as assessed by the MSCEIT.

Emotional Intelligence and Social Interaction

Two studies found positive relationships between the ability to manage emotions and the quality of social interactions, supporting the predictive and incremental validity of an ability measure of emotional intelligence, the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). In a sample of 118 American college students (Study 1), higher scores on the managing emotions subscale of the MSCEIT were positively related to the quality of interactions with friends, evaluated separately by participants and two friends. In a diary study of social interaction with 103 German college students (Study 2), managing emotions scores were positively related to the perceived quality of interactions with opposite sex individuals. Scores on this subscale were also positively related to perceived success in impression management in social interactions with individuals of the opposite sex. In both studies, the main findings remained statistically significant after controlling for Big Five personality traits.

The Role of Knowledge and Skills for Managing Emotions in Adaptation to School Social Behavior and Misconduct in the Classroom

Students’ ability to evaluate emotionally challenging situations and identify effective strategies for managing emotions in themselves and others was negatively related to poor classroom social behavior across three studies. These studies, involving 463 students from two Spanish high schools and one American university, examined indicators of adaptation to school based on teacher ratings and official school records. Relationships between the ability to manage emotions, measured with a situational judgment test, and indicators of social adaptation to school remained significant or marginally significant after controlling for demographic factors, personality traits, and indicators of cognitive ability. These findings suggest that emotion regulation knowledge and skills that can be taught explain important aspects of socio-emotional adaptation to school over and above other relevant constructs.

Emotional Intelligence in Organizations: Bridging Research and Practice

Although theory and research on emotional intelligence (EI) in the workplace has generated high expectations and promising findings, the gap between research and practice looms large. Several lines of inquiry point to the potential benefits of EI for leaders, teams, and organizations. Yet, assessing EI remains challenging, and research focusing on group and organizational levels of analysis is still scarce. In this review, I seek to bridge the gap between research and practice by considering a broader view of EI and discussing research findings with a focus on implications for assessment and training. In particular, I discuss strategies to enhance the impact of EI and leadership training, and to drive results through well-integrated organizational development initiatives.

Attention to Student Needs Mediates the Relationship Between Teacher Emotional Intelligence and Student Misconduct in the Classroom

Understanding the relationship between teacher Emotional intelligence (EI) and student misconduct was the goal of this research. We hypothesized that teachers high in EI tend to establish good working relationships with students by being attentive to their students’ needs. In a sample of 300 Syrian teachers, EI was assessed with the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence scale (WLEIS; Wong & Law, 2002). Results showed that teachers’ perceived EI was negatively related to student misconduct and that this relationship was mediated by teachers’ attention to student needs. Our findings highlight the role of teachers’ EI in shaping social interactions in the classroom and lead to some practical implications for teacher selection and training.

The role of mindfulness in coping with recollections of acute stressors: a laboratory study

BACKGROUND There is mounting evidence regarding the psychological benefits of mindfulness. Yet, does mindfulness really help people to cope with the recollection of acute stressors? METHOD To address this question, we examined the effects of trait mindfulness and experimentally induced mindfulness in cognitive and emotional responses to the recollection of an acute stressor among 76 female college students. RESULTS Trait mindfulness was associated with fewer intrusive thoughts 24 hours after the stress induction, but not with affect balance immediately after the induction. Experimentally induced mindfulness showed the opposite pattern: it was associated with better affect balance immediately after the stress induction, but not with intrusive thoughts 24 hours later. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that even individuals predisposed to mindfulness may find it difficult to use mindfulness to cope effectively with memories of highly stressful events. Furthermore, our results suggest that the effects of brief mindfulness interventions may be too short-lived to really help people cope with such memories. Considered together, these findings highlight the importance of designing mindfulness-based interventions involving not only intensive practice but also specific training to help individuals use mindfulness to cope with acute stressors.

Reappraising Cancer: Life Priorities and Growth

Background: People who have undergone traumatic life experiences such as cancer often report a new meaning and greater appreciation of life. These subjectively experienced positive changes are referred to as posttraumatic growth (PTG). The present study investigated correlates of PTG in cancer patients. Patients and Methods: 128 cancer patients at a rehabilitation clinic in Germany completed self-report questionnaires. Results: Cognitive reappraisal of emotion, gratitude finding, and openness to experience correlated with PTG. Patients also reported different priorities in life after cancer, reflecting more present-oriented and intrinsic concerns. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that reappraising emotions and adjusting life priorities may help cancer patients to experience PTG by facilitating emotion-focused coping and reframing an apparently adverse situation as a positive experience.

Will you thrive under pressure or burn out? Linking anxiety motivation and emotional exhaustion

Can individual differences in the tendency to use anxiety as a source of motivation explain emotional exhaustion? We examined the effects of using anxiety as a source of energy or as a source of information (viewed here as two forms of anxiety motivation) on emotional exhaustion. In Study 1, the use of anxiety as a source of energy predicted decreased emotional exhaustion one year later. Moreover, both forms of anxiety motivation buffered people from the detrimental effects of trait anxiety on later emotional exhaustion. In Study 2, an experiment, participants who were instructed to use anxiety as a source of energy reported lower emotional exhaustion following a stressful task, compared to those instructed to focus on the task or to simply do their best. These findings suggest that using anxiety as a source of motivation may protect people against emotional exhaustion.

Team Development: Definition, Measurement and Relationships with Team Effectiveness

ABSTRACT This article describes the development and validation of a theory-based measure of team development. Drawing on 3 independent samples, including multisource and 2-wave data, we found support for the scale’s theoretical multidimensionality. Convergent and discriminant validity was established, and criterion-related validity was determined through the scale’s relation with 3 facets of team effectiveness: viability, extrarole performance, and reputation. We conclude that the 29-item measure is valid and reliable for the assessment of team development. Theoretically, we shed light on the dimensionality of team development and extend the available knowledge on its nomological network. Practical implications for enhancing team effectiveness via team development are discussed.

Must We Suffer to Succeed

Why do some people work best under pressure? In two studies, we examined whether and how people use anxiety to motivate themselves. As predicted, clarity of feelings moderated the relationship between trait anxiety and the tendency to use this emotion as a source of motivation (i.e., anxiety motivation). Furthermore, anxiety motivation mediated the relationship between trait anxiety and outcomes – including academic achievement (Study 1) as well as persistence and job satisfaction (Study 2). These findings suggest that individuals who are clear about their feelings are more likely to thrive on anxiety and eustress and possibly use these to achieve their goals and find satisfaction at work.