Mayer, Salovey & Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test [MSCEIT-141]

Purpose

The MSCEIT is an assessment tool designed to measure emotional intelligence abilities, based on the model developed by Salovey and Mayer (1990). It focuses on four core skills: perceiving emotions, using emotions to facilitate thought, understanding emotional information, and managing emotions. It is aimed at adults and students, with the objective of evaluating actual abilities rather than self-reported perceptions.

Scale Analysis

The test consists of 141 questions or tasks. From these, a general emotional intelligence index is derived, along with two main scoring categories: experiential intelligence (which includes the skills of perception and facilitation) and strategic intelligence (which includes understanding and management). The four core skills represent the subscales of the test.

Scoring

Scoring is based on the consensus scoring system, where responses are evaluated according to the degree of agreement with the majority of respondents. This method avoids the concept of “right” answers and emphasizes socially and emotionally appropriate reactions. A comprehensive normative database is required for effective scoring.

Statistical Analysis

The test was administered to a sample of 199 individuals, mostly students, with a mean age of 20.35 years and 78% holding university-level education. Women scored higher on the overall index as well as on the skills of perception, facilitation, and management. Furthermore, a correlation was found between attachment style and emotional intelligence, with individuals exhibiting secure attachments scoring higher.

Validity

The test shows satisfactory indications of validity, as scores correlate with theoretically expected patterns, such as gender differences and attachment styles. The validity of the MSCEIT has been supported by the research of Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso (2000, 2002), while its Greek adaptation has been validated by Karetsios and colleagues.

Reliability

Reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The values were: 0.79 for perception, 0.64 for facilitation, 0.74 for understanding, and 0.70 for management. The slightly lower scores, especially for facilitation, are attributed to the nature of the tool, which focuses on assessing abilities rather than stable personality traits.

References

Foreign Bibliography
Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (2000). The handbook of emotional intelligence: The case for ability scales. In R. Bar-On & J. D. A. Parker (Eds.), The handbook of emotional intelligence. Jossey-Bass.
Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (2002). MSCEIT Users Manual. Multi-Health Systems Inc.
Greek Bibliography
Karetsios, K., & Karetsiou, A.