To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? The role of personality.

This article presents findings on the personality traits of individuals who identified as either Vaxxers (V) or Anti-Vaxxers (AV) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study administered measures of Dark Triad traits (Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy), trait emotional intelligence, and personality to a sample of 479 participants (283 Vs and 196 AVs) recruited via mTurk. Results indicated that Vaxxers scored higher on HEXACO Honesty and Conscientiousness while Anti-Vaxxers scored higher on the Dark Triad and trait emotional intelligence. These findings contribute to the understanding of personality differences between Vaxxers and Anti-Vaxxers during a public health crisis.

The Spanish-Chilean Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form: The Adaptation and Validation of the TEIQue-SF in Chile.

There is little doubt that currently trait EI (Trait emotional intelligence) theory and their measures have been found valid and reliable in several research and application settings. This research provides psychometric evidence of the TEIQue-SF in Chilean general and clinical population sample (n1 = 335, n2 = 120). The results confirmed the factor structure of the instrument and supported its multidimensionality. Hierarchical and bi-factor CFA models with the Spanish-Chilean-TEIQue-SF analyzed its internal structure in the R environment, following the assessment of bi-factor ESEM models in Mplus. We performed these analyses both at the global and factor- level. CFA models did not reach acceptable fit statistics for the models, whereas ESEM models reached good to excellent fit for the bi-factor models proposed. We also implemented measurement invariance analyses, which provided evidence for full measurement invariance between the original UK validation sample and the Chilean samples up to the scalar level. Also, the means for the global trait EI factor and the four factors (Well-being, Self-control, Emotionality and Sociability) were alike previous psychometric research with the questionnaire. The results highlight the importance of performing multidimensional factor analysis through ESEM following a bi-factor interpretation of the TEIQue-SF internal structure.

Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form: Brazilian Validation and Measurement Invariance between the United Kingdom and Latin-American Datasets.

The present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian adaptation of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF). In a sample of 512 participants, we tested model fit by bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM), followed by measurement invariance testing against UK and Chilean datasets of the measure. The Big Five Mini-Markers, Satisfaction with Life Scale and Subjective Happiness Scale were also administered as external validation measures. We obtained the following results: (a) final adequate bifactor ESEM model fit; (b) a significantly higher global trait EI mean for men (d = .27); (c) high internal consistency for global trait EI (α = .88), in spite of lower Cronbach's α values at the factor level (.60-.85); (d) high correlation (r = .89) in the test-retest; (e) significant correlation between global trait EI and most of the Big Five dimensions (r = -.66-.46), life satisfaction (.59) and happiness (.68); (f) evidence of incremental validity of trait EI for life satisfaction and happiness over and above the Big Five; (g) equivalent measurement across the Brazilian, UK and Chilean versions of the TEIQue-SF. We conclude that the Brazilian TEIQue-SF is psychometrically sound and can be recommended for research and practical use.

The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire in Lebanon and the UK: A comparison of the psychometric properties in each country.

The aim of this study was to validate the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue v. 1.5) in a Lebanese sample and compare its factorial structure to that of a UK sample. There were similar gender and age distributions in both samples as well as satisfactory structural reliabilities at the global, factor, and facet levels. Results from exploratory factor analysis showed a four-factor structure similar to that originally obtained by the author of the questionnaire. There were strong correlations between the factor scores derived from the two datasets (≥.90). Tucker congruence supported the similarity between the Lebanese and UK factors. Independent-samples t tests showed that Lebanese participants scored higher on the Sociability factor and the facets of self-esteem, social awareness and emotion perception, whereas UK participants scored higher on the facets of stress management, optimism and relationships. Gender differences are also reported, and recommendations for future research discussed.

Mental health literacy of ADHD, autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder: a cross-cultural investigation.

BACKGROUND: Mental health literacy (MHL) is linked to help-seeking behaviours. Although lay people are not always well aware of mental health conditions, few international campaigns and interventions have been developed to raise awareness across cultures. AIMS: To investigate MHL cross-culturally and to identify factors that are associated with MHL. METHOD: Using an online survey, 506 participants (103 Greek, 108 UK, 146 USA, 149 other nationality) read and labelled five vignettes of individuals with Autism, ADHD, Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder and a healthy control. Factors influencing response, confidence and accuracy were compared across all participants, and the effect of various demographics on accurate labelling was compared between countries. RESULTS: Recognition rates were higher than in previous investigations: 75.5% of participants recognised the Healthy vignette, 71.1% ADHD, 61.7% Autism, 56.6% Schizophrenia and 31.6% Bipolar. MHL varied across different countries, with religion, language spoken, and education having the greatest effects. Personal experience of mental illness partially affected MHL. CONCLUSIONS: MHL is relatively high for some mental health conditions, but public knowledge of other conditions is still poor. Factors influencing MHL vary across countries.

Overlap Between the General Factor of Personality and Trait Emotional Intelligence: A Genetic Correlation Study.

A previous meta-analysis (Van der Linden et al., Psychol Bull 143:36-52, 2017) showed that the General Factor of Personality (GFP) overlaps with ability as well as trait emotional intelligence (EI). The correlation between trait EI and the GFP was so high (ρ = 0.88) in that meta-analysis that these two may be considered virtually identical constructs. The present study builds on these findings by examining whether the strong phenotypic correlation between the GFP and trait EI has a genetic component. In a sample of monozygotic and dizygotic twins, the heritability estimates for the GFP and trait EI were 53 and 45%, respectively. Moreover, there was a strong genetic correlation of r = .90 between the GFP and trait EI. Additional analyses suggested that a substantial proportion of the genetic correlations reflects non-additive genetic effects (e.g., dominance and epistasis). These findings are discussed in light of evolutionary accounts of the GFP.

Pathways into psychopathology: Modeling the effects of trait emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and irrational beliefs in a clinical sample.

We investigated possible pathways into mental illness via the combined effects of trait emotional intelligence (trait EI), mindfulness, and irrational beliefs. The sample comprised 121 psychiatric outpatients (64.5% males, mean age = 38.8 years) with a variety of formal clinical diagnoses. Psychopathology was operationalized by means of 3 distinct indicators from the Millon Clinical Multi-Axial Inventory (mild pathology, severe pathology, and clinical symptomatology). A structural equation model confirmed significant direct trait EI and mindfulness effects on irrational beliefs and psychopathology. Trait EI also had a significant indirect effect on psychopathology via mindfulness. Together, the 3 constructs accounted for 44% of the variance in psychopathology. A series of hierarchical regressions demonstrated that trait EI is a stronger predictor of psychopathology than mindfulness and irrational beliefs combined. We conclude that the identified pathways can provide the basis for the development of safe and effective responses to the ongoing mental health and overmedication crises. KEY PRACTITIONERS MESSAGES: Self-perception constructs concerning one's beliefs about oneself have a major impact on the likelihood of developing psychopathological symptoms. Emotional perceptions captured by trait emotional intelligence were stronger predictors of psychopathology than either or both mindfulness and irrational beliefs in a clinical sample of adults. If the seed factors of psychopathology are mainly psychological, rather than mainly biological, and given that psychological constructs, like trait emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and irrational beliefs, are amenable to training and optimization, the findings herein provide the impetus for a much needed shift of emphasis from pharmacological to psychological treatments.

The Incremental Validity of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

A criticism leveled against the conceptualization of emotional intelligence (EI) as a personality trait is that it overlaps considerably with the higher order personality dimensions and, therefore, has weak utility. To investigate this criticism, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to synthesize the literature examining the incremental validity of the 2 adult self-report forms of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue). Twenty-four articles reporting 114 incremental validity analyses of the TEIQue were reviewed according to the studies' methodological features. Additionally, data from 18 studies (providing 105 effect sizes) were pooled in a meta-analysis. Results suggest that the TEIQue consistently explains incremental variance in criteria pertaining to different areas of functioning, beyond higher order personality dimensions and other emotion-related variables. The pooled effect size was relatively small, but statistically and practically significant (ΔR(2) = .06, SE = .0116; 95% CI [.03, .08]). The number of covariates controlled for, the form of the TEIQue, and the focus on higher order personality dimensions versus other individual-difference constructs as baseline predictors did not affect the effect size. Analyses conducted at the factor level indicated that the incremental contribution is mainly due to the well-being and self-control factors of trait EI. Methodological issues and directions for future research are discussed.

Incremental Validity of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF).

This study examined the incremental validity of the adult short form of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue-SF) in predicting 7 construct-relevant criteria beyond the variance explained by the Five-factor model and coping strategies. Additionally, the relative contributions of the questionnaire's 4 subscales were assessed. Two samples of Canadian university students completed the TEIQue-SF, along with measures of the Big Five, coping strategies (Sample 1 only), and emotion-laden criteria. The TEIQue-SF showed consistent incremental effects beyond the Big Five or the Big Five and coping strategies, predicting all 7 criteria examined across the 2 samples. Furthermore, 2 of the 4 TEIQue-SF subscales accounted for the measure's incremental validity. Although the findings provide good support for the validity and utility of the TEIQue-SF, directions for further research are emphasized.

Trait Emotional Intelligence and Personality: Gender-Invariant Linkages Across Different Measures of the Big Five.

This study investigated if the linkages between trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) and the Five-Factor Model of personality were invariant between men and women. Five English-speaking samples (N = 307-685) of mostly undergraduate students each completed a different measure of the Big Five personality traits and either the full form or short form of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue). Across samples, models predicting global TEIQue scores from the Big Five were invariant between genders, with Neuroticism and Extraversion being the strongest trait EI correlates, followed by Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Openness. However, there was some evidence indicating that the gender-specific contributions of the Big Five to trait EI vary depending on the personality measure used, being more consistent for women. Discussion focuses on the validity of the TEIQue as a measure of trait EI and its psychometric properties, more generally.

Predicting anxiety in carers of people with dementia: the role of trait emotional intelligence.

BACKGROUND: Trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) is a personality dimension related to affect that has been shown to predict psychopathology. The objective of the present study was to examine the predictive validity of trait EI in explaining anxiety symptoms in family carers of people with dementia. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 203 dementia family caregivers. We used the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire - Short Form (TEIQue-SF) to measure trait EI in carers. The predictive validity of the scale in explaining anxiety was tested via regression analysis. RESULTS: Bivariate correlational analysis indicated that lower levels of trait EI were related to higher perceived burden, higher anxiety and depression, and poorer self-rated health in carers. Multiple regression analyses indicated that trait EI was a significant predictor of anxiety symptoms after accounting for known factors influencing outcomes for caregivers. Trait EI also showed strong predictive validity in relation to psychosocial outcomes in carers. CONCLUSIONS: Trait EI plays an important role in predicting anxiety in dementia caregivers. Theoretical models and interventions aimed at carers of people with dementia should take into account aspects of personality.

The relationship between emotional problems and subsequent school attainment: a meta-analysis.

Longitudinal studies have provided mixed findings regarding the relationship between emotional problems and subsequent poor school attainment. A meta-analysis of 26 community-based studies of children and adolescents was performed. Results revealed a prospective association between emotional problems and poor school attainment. More consistent associations were found for depression than anxiety. Moderator analyses indicated that some of the heterogeneity between studies may be due to age and gender, with reduced heterogeneity particularly notable for school grades during early adolescence and for anxiety by gender. Findings suggest that early identification and provision of support for young people with emotional problems may be helpful for improving academic outcomes such as school attainment.

Trait emotional intelligence and inflammatory diseases.

Researchers have become increasingly interested in the psychological aspects of inflammatory disorders. Within this line of research, the present study compares the trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) profiles of 827 individuals with various inflammatory conditions (rheumatoid arthritis [RA], ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, and RA plus one comorbidity) against 496 healthy controls. Global trait EI scores did not show significant differences between these groups, although some differences were observed when comparisons were carried out against alternative control groups. Significant differences were found on the trait EI factors of Well-being (where the healthy group scored higher than the RA group) and Sociability (where the healthy group scored higher than both the RA group and the RA plus one comorbidity group). The discussion centers on the multifarious links and interplay between emotions and inflammatory conditions.

Monte Carlo simulation with confusion matrix paradigm - A sample of internal consistency indices.

Monte Carlo simulation is a common method of providing empirical evidence to verify statistics used in psychological studies. A representative set of conditions should be included in simulation studies. However, several recently published Monte Carlo simulation studies have not included the conditions of the null distribution of the statistic in their evaluations or comparisons of statistics and, therefore, have drawn incorrect conclusions. This present study proposes a design based on a common statistic evaluation procedure in psychology and machine learning, using a confusion matrix with four cells: true positive, true negative, false negative modified, and false positive modified. To illustrate this design, we employ an influential Monte Carlo simulation study by Trizano-Hermosilla and Alvarado (2016), which concluded that the Omega-indexed internal consistency should be preferred over other alternatives. Our results show that Omega can report an acceptable level of internal consistency (i.e., > 0.7) in a population with no relationship between every two items in some conditions, providing novel empirical evidence for comparing internal consistency indices.

The role of trait emotional intelligence in the diagnostic cancer pathway.

PURPOSE: Trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) has been linked with psychological outcomes in a variety of settings; however, it has received little attention in the healthcare field. We investigated the relationship between trait EI and worry at different stages of the diagnostic cancer pathway. METHODS: We recruited 64 individuals attending an outpatient urology cancer investigation. Patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire--Short Form and a single-item measure of arousal/pleasantness. Worry was assessed retrospectively for each stage of the pathway and concurrently for the stage of 'awaiting the specialist'. RESULTS: Trait EI was negatively associated with worry in the early stages of the diagnostic pathway ('deciding to see' and 'awaiting the general practitioner (GP)'; ps < 0.05) and was negatively linked to patients' worry while 'seeing the GP' (p = 0.051) after controlling for anxiety, depression, arousal and pleasantness. CONCLUSION: Low trait EI is predictive of increased worry levels in the early stages of the diagnostic cancer pathway. Individual differences in trait EI should be considered when communicating medical results to patients and in the development of interventions designed to reduce worry levels in patients entering the diagnostic cancer pathway.

Psychological impairment in patients urgently referred for prostate and bladder cancer investigations: the role of trait emotional intelligence and perceived social support.

PURPOSE: We aimed to assess the influence of trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) and perceived social support on psychological impairment in a sample of patients urgently referred for prostate and bladder cancer investigations. METHODS: Eighty seven patients (mean age = 62.92; SD = 13.23) were recruited prior to undergoing an investigative procedure for either prostate (n = 45) or bladder (n = 42) cancer. Patients completed measures of psychological impairment (state anxiety and worry) and 82 also competed measures of trait EI and perceived social support. Multivariate linear regression was used to predict the direct and moderated effects of trait EI and perceived social support on psychological impairment. RESULTS: Thirty one percent of patients were considered to be suffering from clinical levels of state anxiety. Trait EI was a significant predictor of state anxiety, worry regarding the appointment, worry regarding the outcome of the appointment and perceived social support. In contrast, perceived social support was not predictive of psychological impairment on any measure and did not moderate the relationship between trait EI and psychological impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Patients urgently referred for urological cancer investigations are a group at risk of psychological impairment and may benefit from healthcare professional support. High trait EI was associated with less state anxiety, less worry and higher perceived social support. There were few consistent effects of perceived social support on psychological impairment. Consideration should be given to the inclusion of trait EI in future models of trauma adaptation.

Trait emotional intelligence in American pilots.

There is a dearth of trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) research within an aviation context. Using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue), the present study investigated potential trait EI differences between pilots and general population controls in the United States. The forty-four pilots who volunteered to participate were primarily male (93%) and between 24 and 67 years with a wide range of flight experience (150-5000 + hrs.) They were matched with controls based on age, gender, and ethnicity. Comparisons on global trait EI and the four trait EI factors revealed significant differences, with pilots scoring consistently lower than their matched counterparts in global trait EI, Well-being, Emotionality, and Sociability, but not Self-control. Overall, the findings indicated that pilots felt less connected to their emotional world than controls. Though limited by sample size and participant diversity, the results provide a basis for future studies into the trait EI profile of pilots, which had not been previously investigated.

Trait Emotional Intelligence in Surgeons.

Trait emotional intelligence (trait EI or trait emotional self-efficacy) concerns people's perceptions of their emotional functioning. Two studies investigated this construct in surgeons and comparison occupations. We hypothesized that trait EI profiles would differ both within surgical specialties as well as between them and other professions. Study 1 (N = 122) compared the trait EI profiles of four different surgical specialties (General, Orthopedic, Head and Neck, and Miscellaneous surgical specialties). There were no significant differences amongst these specialties or between consultant surgeons and trainees in these specialties. Accordingly, the surgical data were combined into a single target sample (N = 462) that was compared against samples of engineers, executives and senior managers, lawyers, junior military managers, nurses, and salespeople. Surgeons scored significantly higher on global trait EI than junior military managers, but lower than executives and senior managers, salespeople, and nurses. There were no significant differences vis-à-vis engineers or lawyers. A MANOVA confirmed a similar pattern of differences in the four trait EI factors (Wellbeing, Self-control, Sociability, and Emotionality). Global trait EI scores correlated strongly with single-question measures of job satisfaction (r = 0.47) and job performance (r = 0.46) in the surgical sample. These findings suggest that interventions to optimize the trait EI profiles of surgeons can be helpful in relation to job satisfaction, job performance, and overall psychological wellbeing.

Invariance of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Construct Across Clinical Populations and Sociodemographic Variables.

Recent research has shown that cultural, linguistic, and sociodemographic peculiarities influence the measurement of trait emotional intelligence (trait EI). Assessing trait EI in different populations fosters cross-cultural research and expands the construct's nomological network. In mental health, the trait EI of clinical populations has been scarcely researched. Accordingly, the present study examined the relationship between trait EI and key sociodemographic variables on Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue-SF) datasets with mental healthcare patients from three different Spanish-speaking countries. Collectively, these datasets comprised 528 participants, 23% from Chile (120), 28% from Peru (150), and 49% from Spain (258). The sociodemographic variables we used for trait EI comparisons were gender, age, educational level, civil status, and occupational status. Analyses involved Multigroup Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling (to test measurement invariance) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Our results revealed significant between-country differences in trait EI across the studied sociodemographic variables and interactions between these variables. Measurement invariance across the datasets was attained up to the scalar level regarding gender and education (i.e., strong invariance), although analyses on age, civil status, and occupation displayed non-invariance. The resultant psychometric evidence supports the suitability of the TEIQue-SF for the accurate cross-cultural assessment of trait EI in mental health settings. It also highlights the importance of incorporating trait EI into extant psychotherapeutic frameworks to enhance non-pharmacological treatment efficacy.