Structural and Predictive Properties of the Emotional Quotient Inventory Youth Version–Short Form (EQ-i:YV[S])

ABSTRACT

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a popular construct with concentrated areas of application in education and health contexts. There is a need for reliable and valid measurement of EI in young people, with brief yet sensitive measures of the construct preferable for use in time-limited settings. However, the proliferation of EI measures has often outpaced rigorous psychometric evaluation (Gignac, 2009). Using data from 849 adolescents (407 females, 422 males) aged 11 to 16 years (M age 13.4, SD = 1.2 years), this article systematically examines the structural and predictive properties of a frequently employed measure of adolescent trait EI—the Emotional Quotient Inventory Youth Version–Short Form (EQ-i:YV[S]); Bar-On & Parker, 2000). Although the intended multidimensional factor structure was recovered through confirmatory factor analysis, the statistical and conceptual coherency of the underlying model was inadequate. Using a multitrait–multimethod approach, the EQ-i:YV(S) was found to converge with other measures of EI; however, evidence for divergent validity (Big Five personality dimensions) was less robust. Predictive utility for adolescent mental health outcomes (depression, disruptive behavior) was also limited. Findings suggest that use of the EQ-i:YV(S) for predictive or evaluative purposes should be avoided until refinements to the scale are made.