Comparing Prominent Emotional Intelligence Assessment Tools

Emotional Intelligence (EI) has dramatically risen to prominence in both scholarly circles and commercial sectors over recent decades. It delineates a person’s capacity to discern, comprehend, and regulate their own emotions, as well as those of others. The increasing recognition of EI as a beneficial attribute across myriad domains, such as education, business, and healthcare, has spurred the creation of a plethora of tools devised to measure and evaluate it. This article will offer a detailed comparison of some of the most prevalent emotional intelligence assessment tools: the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), Emotional Intelligence Appraisal (EIA), the Bar-On Model of Emotional-Social Intelligence (ESI), the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i), and our own assessment tool the e-Factor®.

MSCEIT, derived from a model of EI proposed by eminent psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer, conceptualises EI as a cognitive aptitude, somewhat akin to logical or analytical intelligence. The examination encompasses a myriad of tasks and queries that evaluate an individual’s prowess in four key areas: perceiving emotions, utilising emotions to facilitate thought, understanding emotions, and managing emotions.

Pros:

• Reinforced by an extensive corpus of academic research.
• Places an emphasis on the objective appraisal of emotional skills, which could potentially render it less prone to manipulation.

Cons:

• Some detractors contend that its focus on cognitive abilities overlooks other vital aspects of emotional intelligence, such as empathy and interpersonal skills.
• The test can be somewhat protracted, and interpretation of the results necessitates a trained professional.

Created by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves, the EIA is predicated on a model of emotional intelligence that encapsulates four primary skills: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. This model amalgamates elements of both cognitive and personality-based approaches to EI.

Pros:

• The EIA provides a swift and straightforward appraisal.
• It delivers lucid, actionable strategies for enhancing emotional intelligence.

Cons:

• Being a self-report tool, it may be susceptible to bias in terms of how individuals perceive and portray themselves.
• It may not be as comprehensive as other appraisals.

Pioneered by Reuven Bar-On, the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) is a self-report measure of emotionally and socially intelligent behaviour that provides an estimate of one’s emotional intelligence. The EQ-i is founded upon Bar-On’s model, which views emotional intelligence as a series of interconnected emotional and social competencies, skills, and behaviours that influence intelligent behaviour.

Pros:

• The EQ-i provides a comprehensive evaluation of the key constituents of emotional intelligence, which are divided into distinct, comprehensible categories.
• It offers a thorough examination of the emotional functioning of an individual, which can prove invaluable in coaching or therapeutic contexts.

Cons:

• As a self-report assessment, individuals may respond in a way that they deem socially desirable or expected, rather than accurately reflecting their true feelings or behaviours, thereby skewing results.
• The EQ-i is a commercial product, which renders it less accessible for some users, necessitating payment and training for its usage.

The e-Factor by Dr. Cliff Lansley and the Emotional Intelligence Academy is a ground-breaking emotional intelligence tool that applies a distinctive approach to measuring Emotional Intelligence (EI). With an understanding of the profound impact high EQ can have on success in personal, professional, and academic spheres, it is designed to highlight EI strengths and weaknesses to spur self-improvement and career progression.

Pros:

• The e-Factor tool affords a more balanced, accurate measure of emotional intelligence, mitigating the bias frequently associated with self-reporting.
• Its ability-focused design guarantees that a user must possess a high EQ to score highly, eliminating the possibility of being merely ‘book-smart.’
• Training and personal development solutions are available through the Certified e-Factor Global Facilitator network.
• Mobile friendly

Cons:

• Due to its multi-faceted assessment approach, it can be more time-intensive (1 hour).
• Provides highly accurate readings that cannot be faked and, therefore, may or may not provide you with the results you expected.

Summary

To sum up, each of these assessment tools – MSCEIT, EIA, the Bar-On Model, EQ-i, and the e-Factor – offers its unique perspectives and contributions to the assessment of Emotional Intelligence. The tool best suited for you or your organisation depends on your specific needs, whether it’s understanding the cognitive aspect of EI, improving emotional skills, assessing personality traits and behaviours influencing EI, or adopting a holistic, triangulated approach.

What do you think? Have you had any experience with any of these tools? What did you like, what didn’t you like? Let us know in the comments section below : )