Poster #176 - Psychometric Comparison of Trait and Ability Emotional Intelligence: Differential Associations With Psychopathy

• In Event: ASC Poster Session II

Abstract

Emotional intelligence (EI) is increasingly examined in relation to psychopathy, yet debates persist regarding its conceptualization as a stable trait versus a trainable ability. This study investigated how different EI models relate to psychopathic traits by comparing two self-report trait EI measures (TEIQue-SF, Wong & Law) with a performance-based ability EI test (STEM-B) across two independent adult samples. While prior research generally finds an inverse relationship between EI and psychopathy, closer inspection reveals mixed results depending on the EI model employed and the psychopathy factor examined. To address this, we conducted psychometric analyses to assess how each EI model differentially correlates with the interpersonal-affective (Factor 1) and lifestyle-antisocial (Factor 2) dimensions of psychopathy. The findings show divergent patterns between trait and ability EI models in their associations with psychopathy factors. These results carry important implications for the construct validity of both EI and psychopathy, emphasizing the need to align measurement tools with theoretical frameworks. They also suggest that conclusions about the EI–psychopathy link may depend heavily on how EI is operationalized.

Authors

• Qiwen (Thomas) Tong, CUNY Graduate Center

• Yu Gao, Brooklyn College, CUNY

• Liat Kofler, CUNY Graduate Center

• Amanda Murphy, Brooklyn College, CUNY

• Wei Wang, Baruch College, CUNY