Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire- Child Form (TEIQUE-CF)

Abstract

The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire- Child Form (TEIQUE-CF) is a specialized psychological scale designed to measure global Trait Emotional Intelligence (Trait EI) in children. Developed within the broader theoretical framework established by K.V. Petrides, the TEIQue-CF conceptualizes trait EI not as a cognitive ability, but as a constellation of emotion-related self-perceptions and behavioral dispositions located at the lower levels of personality hierarchies. This instrument is crucial for assessing how children perceive their own emotional competencies, serving as a reliable tool in developmental and educational psychology research.

Keywords

Trait Emotional Intelligence, TEIQue-CF, Child Assessment, Emotional Competence, Personality, Self-report, K.V. Petrides.

Authors

K.V. Petrides, S. Sangareau, A. Furnham, R. Katartzi.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the TEIQue-CF is to provide a comprehensive, standardized measure of Trait Emotional Intelligence (Trait EI) suitable for primary school-aged children. It aims to quantify individual differences in emotional self-perception, allowing researchers and clinicians to identify developmental patterns, predict academic and social outcomes, and assess the effectiveness of interventions targeting emotional skills.

Specifically, the scale is designed to map the dispositional aspects of emotional functioning, differentiating it from ability-based models of emotional intelligence. By focusing on typical behavior and self-beliefs, the TEIQue-CF offers valuable insights into the child’s emotional landscape as perceived by the child themselves.

Construct

The TEIQue-CF operationalizes the construct of Trait Emotional Intelligence (Trait EI), defined as a structure comprising emotion-related self-perceptions measured via self-report. This construct is hierarchically organized, encompassing the global trait EI score at the highest level, four key factors, and 15 specific facets.

The four main factors typically measured are:

• Well-being: Measures optimism, happiness, and stress management.
• Self-Control: Assesses impulsivity, emotion regulation, and assertiveness.
• Emotionality: Relates to empathy, emotion perception (self and others), and relationship skills.
• Sociability: Covers social awareness, management of others’ emotions, and influence.

Validity

Extensive research supports the Validity of the TEIQue-CF across various cultures and languages. Studies examining construct validity consistently show that trait EI, as measured by the TEIQue-CF, aligns theoretically with established personality dimensions, particularly the Big Five model, demonstrating significant correlations with high scores in Extraversion and low scores in Neuroticism.

Criterion validity is demonstrated through the scale’s ability to predict relevant outcomes, such as academic performance, reduced bullying behavior, and better peer relationships. The scale exhibits strong discriminant validity, confirming that it measures a unique construct separate from general intelligence (IQ) or specific cognitive abilities.

Reliability

The TEIQue-CF demonstrates robust internal consistency, indicating high Reliability. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the global trait EI score typically exceed 0.85, suggesting excellent internal consistency. Furthermore, the four main factors usually yield coefficients ranging from 0.70 to 0.85, confirming that the items within each factor are measuring the same underlying dimension.

Test-retest reliability studies, crucial for dispositional measures, confirm the stability of the TEIQue-CF scores over time, typically showing high correlation coefficients (r > 0.70) when administered weeks or months apart, reinforcing its suitability for longitudinal research.

Factor Analysis

The structural integrity of the TEIQue-CF is confirmed through rigorous Factor Analysis. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA) have supported the hierarchical structure proposed by the theoretical model.

The results generally confirm a four-factor structure (Well-being, Self-Control, Emotionality, Sociability) that maps onto the original adult TEIQue model, while also supporting the aggregation of these factors into a single, global Trait Emotional Intelligence (Trait EI) score. Fit indices often meet accepted standards (e.g., CFI > 0.90; RMSEA < 0.08), validating the instrument’s dimensional structure in child populations.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychological scale

Format: 5-point Likert scale (e.g., 1 = Completely disagree to 5 = Completely agree)

Language Available: English, Spanish, German, Greek, Chinese, and many others due to widespread international use.

Population Group: Non-clinical and clinical child populations.

Age Group: Typically 8 to 12 years old (Primary/Elementary school age).

Population Details: Requires basic literacy and comprehension skills suitable for late childhood.

Test Methodology: Paper-and-pencil or online administration; typically takes 15–20 minutes to complete.

Keywords

Child psychology, Emotional development, Assessment tool, Reliability, Validity, Personality assessment, Self-perception.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information typically varies by specific publication)

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected] (General inquiries for the Trait EI Lab)

Correspondence Address: London Psychometric Laboratory, University College London (UCL).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The TEIQue instruments are proprietary. Permissions and usage fees are required for commercial or large-scale academic use and are typically managed by the copyright holders (e.g., K.V. Petrides and his affiliated institutions).

Test Year: Initial versions of the TEIQue-CF were developed around 2006–2009, with subsequent revisions and normative updates released periodically.

The original PDF can be downloaded here: N/A (No PDF link was provided in the source content).

Reference’s

Key references supporting the development and psychometrics of the TEIQue-CF include:

• Petrides, K. V., Sangareau, S., Furnham, A., & Katartzi, R. (2006). The development of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Child Form (TEIQue-CF). Personality and Individual Differences, 42(2), 313–323.
• Petrides, K. V. (2009). Technical Manual for the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue). London: K. V. Petrides.
• Mavroveli, S., Petrides, K. V., Shove, C., & Whitehead, I. (2008). Validation of the construct of trait emotional intelligence in children. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 24(2), 125–134.

Items of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire- Child Form (TEIQUE-CF)

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

The original source content provided was removed by the publisher based on a request. Therefore, the specific items of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire- Child Form (TEIQUE-CF) cannot be listed here.