Emotional Intelligence Test (EMI-T)

Abstract

The Emotional Intelligence Test (EMI-T), developed by Pienimaa et al. in 2023, is a specialized instrument designed to measure the Emotional Intelligence of students applying for or enrolled in social care and healthcare academic programs. The development of the EMI-T followed a rigorous process, beginning with a systematic review of existing literature and incorporating qualitative insights gathered from focus group interviews with relevant professionals.

The scale’s initial psychometric properties were established through two pilot studies, and its content validity was confirmed by expert panels. The comprehensive psychometric evaluation utilized data collected from undergraduate applicants seeking admission to social care and healthcare programs across 20 different universities of applied sciences in Finland. This evaluation was primarily conducted using the Item Response Theory (IRT) method.

The EMI-T is composed of 20 multiple-choice items, structured into four distinct subscales. These items assess different facets of emotional competence through case-based scenarios and eight visual items requiring the identification of universal emotions depicted in facial expressions. A notable limitation identified during the IRT analysis was that a subset of items proved exceptionally easy, with over 95% of participants selecting the correct response, thus rendering the Item Response Theory model unsuitable for the full psychometric assessment of those particular items.

Keywords

Emotional Intelligence, Social Care Students, Healthcare Students, Perception and Understanding of Emotions, Management of Emotions, Acceptance of Emotions, Social Awareness and Relations, Emotional Control, Emotional Assessment, Emotional Processing.

Authors

Pienimaa, Anne; Talman, Kirsi; Vierula, Jonna; Laakkonen, Eero; Haavisto, Elina.

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the EMI-T instrument is to accurately measure the level of Emotional Intelligence competence among students pursuing careers in social care and healthcare. This assessment is particularly relevant for students who are beginning or preparing for early participation in clinical practice environments, where emotional competencies are crucial for effective patient and client interaction.

By providing a standardized measure of these skills, the EMI-T aids educational institutions in selecting applicants who possess the foundational emotional capabilities necessary for success and ethical practice within these demanding professional fields.

Construct

The scale measures Emotional Intelligence (EI). EI, in the context of the EMI-T, is operationalized as the ability to effectively perceive, understand, manage, and utilize emotions in oneself and others. The four subscales of the 20-item test implicitly map to these core components of EI, focusing on practical application within care scenarios.

Validity

The development team established the scale’s content validity through rigorous evaluation by expert panels. The standard for inclusion required that the item-related Content Validity Index (CVI) must meet or exceed a predetermined threshold (CVI ≥0.78, based on the criteria outlined by Polit & Beck in 2006). Any items that failed to meet this stringent criterion were systematically removed from the final 20-item instrument, ensuring that the remaining items were highly relevant and representative of the intended construct.

Reliability

Specific reliability data (such as internal consistency measures like Cronbach’s alpha or test-retest reliability) for the Emotional Intelligence Test (EMI-T) were not available in the provided source documentation.

Factor Analysis

While traditional exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis results are not explicitly available, the dimensionality and item functioning of the scale were investigated using the advanced methodology of Item Response Theory (IRT). The IRT method provided insights into how well items differentiate between students with varying levels of underlying Emotional Intelligence.

Instrument

Test Type: This is an original, performance-based inventory/questionnaire designed specifically for student selection and assessment.

Format: The test is administered electronically. It employs a multiple-choice format for all items, with each question presenting four options: one correct response and three distractors. Scoring is based on awarding one point for each correct answer; no penalties are applied for incorrect responses. The resulting total score ranges from 0 to 20.

Language Available: English.

Population Group: Human subjects, including both male and female participants.

Age Group: Adulthood (specifically 18 years and older).

Population Details: The instrument was developed and validated specifically using a sample of social care and healthcare students and applicants within Finland.

Test Methodology: The development process incorporated multiple psychometric evaluation steps, including assessments of Test Validity, Content Validity, and the application of Item Response Theory.

Keywords

Emotional Assessment, Emotional Processing, Emotional Intelligence, Healthcare Students, Social Care Students, Perception of Emotions, Management of Emotions, Social Awareness.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Pienimaa, Anne: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0857-5776; Vierula, Jonna: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7538-9837.

Affiliation Email addresses: Anne Pienimaa is affiliated with the University of Turku Department of Nursing Science. Kirsi Talman is affiliated with the University of Turku Department of Nursing Science. Jonna Vierula is affiliated with Laurea University of Applied Sciences UAS Student Selection Consortium. Eero Laakkonen is affiliated with the University of Turku Department of Teacher Education. Elina Haavisto is affiliated with Tampere University Hospital, Tampere University Department of Health Sciences.

Correspondence Address: The corresponding author is Pienimaa, Anne, reachable via email at [email protected].

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

To obtain permissions for using the Emotional Intelligence Test (EMI-T), interested parties must contact the Corresponding Author, Anne Pienimaa. The instrument is designated as non-commercial, and there is no stated fee associated with its use. The scale was developed and initially evaluated in 2023.

Reference’s

Pienimaa, A., Talman, K., Vierula, J., Laakkonen, E., & Haavisto, E. (2023). Development and psychometric evaluation of the Emotional Intelligence Test (EMI-T) for social care and healthcare student selection. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 79(2), 850–863. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15557

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Items of the Emotional Intelligence Test (EMI-T)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The specific items for this 20-item measure are not publicly available.