The relation between emotional intelligence and subjective well-being: A meta-analytic investigation

This meta-analysis includes studies concerning the relationships between emotional intelligence (EI) and subjective well-being (SWB). A total of 25 studies with 77 effect sizes and a combined sample of 8520 participants were found. The results provided evidence of a positive significant relationship between EI and SWB (? = 0.32). This relationship was found to be higher in studies using self-report mixed EI instruments (? = 0.38), than with in studies using self-report ability EI instruments (? = 0.32) and performance-based ability EI instruments (? = 0.22). When examining EI measures, there was a larger association between EI and the cognitive component of SWB (? = 0.35) than with the affective component (? = 0.29). There is a need for further research with other evaluation methods to achieve a better understanding of the relationship between EI and SWB.     

Individual functions of subjective time distance and emotional reaction

Lundberg, U. & Ekman, G. Individual functions of subjective time distance and emotional reaction. Scand. J. Psychol., 1973, 14, 29–33.-Data from a previous study ere analysed on an individual level. It was found that a simple power function could describe the relation between subjective and objective time, while an exponential function fitted the data for the relation between emotional reaction and subjective time distance. The same simple alternative functions also described the group data in the previous study.     

Age influences the relation between subjective valence ratings and emotional word use during autobiographical memory retrieval

Recent research reveals an age-related increase in positive autobiographical memory retrieval using a number of positivity measures, including valence ratings and positive word use. It is currently unclear whether the positivity shift in each of these measures co-occurs, or if age uniquely influences multiple components of autobiographical memory retrieval. The current study examined the correspondence between valence ratings and emotional word use in young and older adults' autobiographical memories. Positive word use in narratives was associated with valence ratings only in young adults' narratives. Older adults' narratives contained a consistent level of positive word use regardless of valence rating, suggesting that positive words and concepts may be chronically accessible to older adults during memory retrieval, regardless of subjective valence. Although a relation between negative word use in narratives and negative valence ratings was apparent in both young and older adults, it was stronger in older adults' narratives. These findings confirm that older adults do vary their word use in accordance with subjective valence, but they do so in a way that is different from young adults. The results also point to a potential dissociation between age-related changes in subjective valence and in positive word use.     

The structure of subjective emotional intensity

Abstract

Emotions vary in intensity. But what is it that vanes? There are many parameters that can be considered parameters of emotional intensity, and it is unclear how these parameters are related. The main question of this study is: Is the subjective intensity of emotion one dimensional, and, if not, what are its dimensions? We sampled 222 instances of emotions, and for each instance subjects completed a questionnaire. The subjects also drew a diagram of the course of their emotion over time. A factor analysis of the intensity questions and the diagram variables yielded six factors: (1) duration of the emotion and delay of its onset and peak; (2) perceived bodily changes and strength of felt passivity; (3) recollection and re-experience of the emotion; (4) strength and drasticness of action tendency, and drasticness of actual behaviour; (5) belief changes and influence upon long-term behaviour; and (6) overall felt intensity. Most specific dimensions correlated moderately with overall felt intensity. Special attention is given to the relation between intensity and the duration of emotion.     

The relation between type A behavior and chronic emotional distress: a meta-analysis

A meta-analysis was conducted of studies examining the relation between Type A behavior and chronic emotional distress as measured by standard psychological scales. Aggregating across all studies, the average effect size was .27, indicating a positive association between Type A and chronic dysphoria; however, there was considerable variability in the size of the relation among studies. Partitioning by Type A measure revealed that Structured Interview-assessed Type A was unrelated to chronic dysphoric emotions; however, most of the self-report measures of Type A behavior were moderately correlated with upset. The Framingham Type A Scale and the Bortner Scale showed the strongest relations. Thus, contrary to the traditional view, Type A measured by self-report does have some emotional concomitants, although they are not in the pathological range. Also discussed are how the results bear on the proposal that the maladjusted personality confers coronary risk, the implications for reported associations between Type A and illness complaints, and for the study of the Type A as a social psychological construct.     

The relation between social sharing and the duration of emotional experience

People often socially share their emotions to regulate them. Two-mode theory of social sharing states that cognitive sharing will contribute to emotional recovery, whereas socio-affective sharing will only temporarily alleviate emotional distress. Previous studies supporting this theory, measured emotional recovery in terms of residual emotional intensity. Until now, another important time-dynamic aspect of emotions, emotion duration, has been largely ignored. In two experience sampling studies we addressed this gap. In Study 1, participants reported on the duration of anger, fear, and sadness episodes; additionally time-varying information on the occurrence and mode of sharing was collected. This study revealed that sharing led to a shortening in emotion duration, in particular when it was socio-affective in nature. In Study 2 we investigated whether this result could be interpreted in terms of our measure of duration primarily reflecting emotional relief rather than recovery. In this study, the same method as in Study 1 was used; additionally, residual emotional intensity was measured three days after emotion onset. Study 2 largely replicated the findings from Study 1. Furthermore, duration appeared to be empirically distinct from residual intensity. Finally, no relation between sharing and residual intensity was found, even when considering the sharing mode.     

The relation between event processing and the duration of emotional experience

An emotional experience can last for only a couple of seconds up to several hours or even longer. In the present study, we examine to which extent covert intrapersonal actions (cognitions both related and unrelated to the emotion-eliciting stimulus) as well as overt interpersonal actions (social sharing) account for this variability in emotion duration. Participants were asked to report the duration of their anger, sadness, joy, and gratitude episodes on a daily basis during five days. Furthermore, information was collected with regard to their cognitions during the episodes and their social sharing behavior. Discrete-time survival analyses revealed that for three of the four emotions under study, stimulus-related cognitions with the same valence as the emotion lead to a prolongation of the episode; in contrast, both stimulus-related and stimulus-unrelated cognitions with a valence opposite to the emotion lead to a shortening. Finally, for the four emotions under study, social sharing was associated with a prolongation. The findings are discussed in terms of a possible process basis underlying the time dynamics of negative as well as positive emotions.     

The assessment of subjective probability distributions: A training experiment

For this experiment 22 Ss were especially trained to assess subjective probability distributions for proportions concerning student characteristics. Two different assessment techniques were used. There were four experimental sessions. From the second session on, Ss received feedback about their performance in the previous session(s). While Ss' associated by far too much confidence with their assessments at the beginning, they learned to assess more realistic distributions. Furthermore, discrepancies between techniques were reduced.Some considerations for a more effective training procedure are made and the concept of giving feedback only according to the tightness of the assessed distribution is critically discussed.     

The intricate relationships between monitoring and control in metacognition: lessons for the cause-and-effect relation between subjective experience and behavior

Do we run away because we are frightened, or are we frightened because we run away? The authors address this issue with respect to the relation between metacognitive monitoring and metacognitive control. When self-regulation is goal driven, monitoring effects control processes so that increased processing effort should enhance feelings of competence and feelings of knowing. In contrast, when self-regulation is data driven, such feelings may be based themselves on the feedback from control processes, in which case they should decrease with increasing effort. Evidence for both monitoring-based control and control-based monitoring occurring even in the same situation is presented. The results are discussed with regard to the issue of the cause-and-effect relation between subjective experience and behavior.     

Cognitive appraisals and emotional experience: Further evidence

Abstract

The present study uses methods derived from Smith and Ellsworth (1985) to investigate the degree to which emotions are associated with distinctive patterns of cognitive appraisal. Subjects described past situations in which they had unambiguously experienced each of eight emotions: guilt. embarrassment, shame. anxiety. anger, hope. joy, and pride. These situations were then rated on each of 10 appraisal scales: unpleasantness. unexpectedness of events from own and from others' perspective, inconsistency of own actions with own and others' behavioural standards, benefit to self and to others, own and others' responsibility for events. and degree to which events were beyond anyone's control. Analysis of these ratings revealed distinctive patterns of appraisal associated with the eight emotions. including discriminable patterns for guilt and shame—emotions that were not distinguished in terms of the appraisal dimensions recovered by Smith and Ellsworth. Thus the present study demonstrates that appraisal dimensions (such as unexpectedness, benefit, and inconsistency with behavioural standards) in addition than those used by Smith and Ellsworth have utility in distinguishing among emotions.     

Be water: Direct and indirect relations between perceived emotional intelligence and subjective well‐being

Trait emotional intelligence (TEI) has been shown to have predictive capacity for certain dimensions of adaptation, such as life satisfaction and affectivity. The Trait Meta Mood Scale (TMMS), based on the EI ability model, has been shown to have predictive capacity for subjective well‐being through its three factors (attention, clarity, and emotional repair), but little is known about the mediating role played by these dimensions, both among themselves and in relation to other variables. The aim of the present study was to analyse the direct and indirect relationships between the TMMS factors and subjective well‐being dimensions, using structural equation modelling, also including self‐efficacy in the model as a mediator of these relationships. Attention was found to have a negative effect on subjective well‐being, which was inhibited when clarity and repair were included as mediators. Self‐efficacy played a major role since it increased the positive effect of clarity and repair on subjective well‐being. This study provides evidence of the advantage of using the TMMS factors separately and of studying their mediational role in order to better understand the processes underlying the manner in which TEI influences subjective well‐being.     

The role of core self-evaluations in the relationship between religious involvement and subjective well-being: a moderated mediation model

This study examined whether core self-evaluations (CSE), a personality-based construct, mediates the association between religious involvement and subjective well-being (i.e., physical and psychological). Furthermore, investigates whether the indirect relation of religious involvement to well-being through CSE is conditional on age group (elderly vs. adults). Two different samples were examined: an elderly (N?=?300) and an adult community sample (N?=?294). To determine whether the strength of these effects depend on (moderated by) age group, we used multiple regression analyses and bootstrapping framework to probe conditional indirect (i.e., moderated mediation) effects. The results showed that CSE mediates the relationship between religious involvement (i.e., religious attendance and intrinsic religiosity) and both aspects of subjective well-being. However, the moderated mediation models revealed that this mechanism exists only for elderly. Implications of these results for improving the quality of life in elderly are discussed and directions for future research are provided.