The purpose of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate a new measure of self-perception of emotional intelligence (EI) grounded on the Mayer and Salovey framework (1997): the Emotional Intelligence Self-Perception Questionnaire (EIQ-SP). Two cross-sectional studies with self-reported questionnaires were conducted. The total sample included 401 participants (n1 = 191; n2 = 210) between 16 to 75 years old. Data were analyzed through exploratory factor analyses (EFA), confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), multi-group CFAs as well as reliability and correlational analyses. The results of an exploratory factor analysis supported the retention of 4 factors in the original measurement model: perceiving and expressing emotion, assimilating emotion in thought, understanding emotions, and reflectively regulating emotions. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the tenability of the 4-factor measurement model. All factors also show reliability, as well as convergent and discriminant validity. Additionally, two multiple-group CFAs showed that the final model was totally invariant between the two independent samples and partially invariant across gender samples. This study provided support for the initial reliability and validity of the EIQ-S and showed it as a useful instrument for research on emotional intelligence.
Emotional intelligence; psychometric development; evaluation