Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS)

Abstract

The Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS), developed by Schutte et al. (1998), is a widely recognized psychological scale designed to measure perceived emotional intelligence (EI). It is a 33-item self-report measure based conceptually on the four-branch ability model of EI proposed by Salovey and Mayer (1990). The SEIS assesses an individual’s perceived ability to appraise, express, regulate, and utilize emotions effectively. It is frequently employed in research contexts focusing on the relationship between emotional competence and various outcomes, including psychological well-being, academic success, and overall life satisfaction.

Keywords

Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale, SEIS, Emotional Intelligence, EI, self-report, emotional regulation, emotional appraisal, utilization of emotion, psychological measurement, ability model.

Authors

Nicola S. Schutte, John M. Malouff, Leonard E. Hall, Donald J. Haggerty, John T. Cooper, Charles J. Golden, Lisa Dornheim.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the SEIS is to provide a reliable and validated instrument for assessing an individual’s trait-like perception of their own emotional skills. It aims to operationalize the key components of the ability model of Emotional Intelligence, focusing on how individuals perceive their capacity to understand and manage both their own emotions and the emotions of others in daily life.

The SEIS serves as a powerful tool for exploring correlations between perceived emotional competence and outcomes such as academic success, job performance, interpersonal relationship quality, and general well-being. Its self-report nature makes it highly practical for large-scale psychological research and educational assessments.

Construct

The SEIS measures Emotional Intelligence, conceptualized as a set of interconnected skills related to the accurate appraisal and expression of emotion, the regulation of emotion, and the utilization of emotion to facilitate performance and adaptation. This scale aligns closely with the original theoretical framework put forth by Salovey and Mayer (1990).

While often used to generate a single global EI score, the structure of the SEIS is commonly analyzed across three primary factors, reflecting distinct components of emotional competence:

• Appraisal and Expression of Emotion: (13 items) Measures the ability to recognize, understand, and convey emotions in oneself and others.
• Regulation of Emotion: (10 items) Focuses on the ability to manage and control one’s own emotional states and influence the emotions of others.
• Utilization of Emotion: (10 items) Assesses the capacity to use emotions to motivate behavior, guide thinking, promote optimism, and facilitate goal achievement.

Validity

Initial studies demonstrated satisfactory construct validity for the SEIS. The scale showed significant positive correlations with other related psychological constructs, such as empathy, optimism, and measures of psychological adjustment, providing robust evidence for convergent validity. Furthermore, the scale demonstrated appropriate discriminant validity by showing weaker correlations with measures of personality traits (like the Big Five) that are theoretically distinct from EI.

In terms of criterion validity, SEIS scores have been shown to predict important life outcomes across diverse populations, including higher academic achievement, better interpersonal functioning, and greater coping ability during stress, consistent with the theoretical role of Emotional Intelligence as a practical life skill.

Reliability

The SEIS is generally reported to have excellent internal consistency. Schutte et al. (1998) reported an initial Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.90 for the total scale score, indicating high reliability. Subsequent research across diverse populations and languages has consistently confirmed this strong level of internal consistency, with alpha coefficients typically ranging between 0.85 and 0.93.

The scale also demonstrates acceptable test-retest reliability, confirming that the measure yields stable scores over time, suggesting that the SEIS measures a relatively stable characteristic or trait (often referred to as trait EI) rather than a temporary state.

Factor Analysis

While the SEIS was designed based on a four-branch model, exploratory and confirmatory Factor Analysis often supports either a strong single-factor solution, representing global Emotional Intelligence, or a three-factor structure. The three-factor model is derived from the theoretical division into Appraisal/Expression, Regulation, and Utilization dimensions, as outlined by the authors.

Despite the complexity in achieving a perfect fit for the intended multi-factor model, the scale’s strong primary factor loading supports its use as a robust and reliable measure of overall perceived emotional competence, making the total score the most frequently utilized metric in research.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report measure (Trait EI)

Format: 33 items responded to on a 5-point Likert Scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree)

Language Available: English (Original), widely translated into numerous languages including Spanish, German, and Chinese.

Population Group: General population; utilized extensively with student, clinical, and organizational samples.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically 16 years and older)

Population Details: Developed initially using undergraduate student samples in the United States.

Test Methodology: Pen-and-paper or digital administration. Scoring involves summing the responses, with items 5, 28, and 33 requiring reverse scoring.

Keywords

Trait EI, emotional competence, psychological well-being, self-assessment, self-report scale, emotional regulation, social skills, psychological measurement.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source content.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The SEIS is generally considered an academic instrument intended for use in non-commercial research and educational settings. While permissions should always be sought for commercial applications, the scale is often used freely by academic researchers. The scale was formally developed and published in 1998.

The original PDF of the instrument items and scoring instructions can be downloaded here: http://www.recercat.net/bitstream/handle/2072/48144/tfc-galvez-2010-annexos.pdf?sequence=2

Reference’s

• Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Hall, L. E., Haggerty, D. J., Cooper, J. T., Golden, C. J., & Dornheim, L. (1998). Development and validation of a measure of emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 25, 167–177.
• Schutte, N.S. and Malouff, J.M. (1999). Measuring Emotional Intelligence and Related Constructs. Edwin Mellen Press. Lewiston. New York. NY.
• Schutte, N.S., Malouff, J.M., Simunek, M., McKenley, J. and Hollander, S. (2002). characteristic emotional intelligence and emotional wellbeing. Cognition and Emotion. 16(6); 769-85.

Items of the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS)

The SEIS consists of 33 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, where 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = neither disagree nor agree, 4 = agree, and 5 = strongly agree. Items 5, 28, and 33 are reverse scored.

1. I know when to speak about my personal problems to others.

2. When I am faced with obstacles‚ I remember times I faced similar obstacles and overcame them.

3. I expect that I will do well on most things I try.

4. Other people find it easy to confide in me.

5. I find it hard to understand the nonverbal messages of other people.

6. Some of the major events of my life have led me to re-evaluate what is important and not important.

7. When my mood changes‚ I see new possibilities.

8. Emotions are some of the things that make my life worth living.

9. I am aware of my emotions as I experience them.

10. I expect good things to happen.

11. I like to share my emotions with others.

12. When I experience a positive emotion‚ I know how to make it last.

13. I arrange events others enjoy.

14. I seek out activities that make me happy.

15. I am aware of the nonverbal messages I send to others.

16. I present myself in a way that makes a good impression on others.

17. When I am in a positive mood‚ solving problems is easy for me.

18. By looking at their facial expressions‚ I recognize the emotions people are experiencing.

19. I know why my emotions change.

20. When I am in a positive mood‚ I am able to come up with new ideas.

21. I have control over my emotions.

22. I easily recognize my emotions as I experience them.

23. I motivate myself by imagining a good outcome to tasks I take on.

24. I compliment others when they have done something well.

25. I am aware of the nonverbal messages other people send.

26. When another person tells me about an important event in his or her life‚ I almost feel as though I have experienced this event myself.

27. When I feel a change in emotions‚ I tend to come up with new ideas.

28. When I am faced with a challenge‚ I give up because I believe I will fail.

29. I know what other people are feeling just by looking at them.

30. I help other people feel better when they are down.

31. I use good moods to help myself keep trying in the face of obstacles.

32. I can tell how people are feeling by listening to the tone of their voice.

33. It is difficult for me to understand why people feel the way they do.