1. Linking Compassion And Emotional Intelligence: A Preliminary Study Callista Forchuk1, Anita Feher1, Donald Saklofske1 1Western University
Standardized factor loadings, and intercorrelations are pictured. All factor loading and correlations are significant.
Table 1. (Continued)
Abstract
Methods
Com_D
Com_S
Com_I
Com_M
Com_CH
Com_K -
73***
81***
72***
-51***
-40***
-48***
-19***
-21***
-14**
34***
-64***
-53***
-61***
61***
33***
STEU
-27***
-23***
23***
24***
28***
STEM
-26***
-20***
22***
25***
Wellbeing
-22***
26***
Self Control
-09
-11*
-08
15** 03
Emotionality
-43***
-49***
-47***
35***
13**
37***
Sociability
-15**
-17***
Note. * p < .05. ** p < .01. *** p < .001.
Compassion for others has been associated with numerous positive outcomes such as increased wellbeing, increased prosocial behaviour, and improved social relationships. Because compassion has been described as an other-directed emotion, it is reasonable to assume that one’s emotional competencies may influence the expression of compassionate behaviour. Past studies have shown a positive relation between compassion and general measures of emotional competence, however its relationship to the specific construct of emotional intelligence (EI) has been largely unexamined. EI is a multidimensional construct comprising ability EI (i.e., emotion-related cognitive abilities) and trait EI (i.e., self-perceived emotional skills). The goal of this study is to explore whether ability, or trait EI is a better predictor of compassion for others. As part of a larger study, a series of questionnaires including measures of trait EI, ability EI, and compassion, were administered to undergraduate students (N=425). Preliminary analyses indicate significant correlations between both ability and trait EI with compassion, and a linear regression model has shown that all components of EI predict compassion, with trait EI as the most significant predictor. Further analyses will be conducted in order to clarify the relationship between EI and compassion.
Participants
Psychology undergraduate students from Western University (N = 486).
Ages (M = 18.19, SD = 1.34); 329 females, 154 males, 3 unspecified.
Measures
The Compassion Scale1; α = .91.
Ability EI
Situational Test of Emotional Understanding (STEU)4; α =.78.
Situational Test of Emotional Management-Brief (STEM-B)12; α =.67.
Trait EI
Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIque-SF)5; α =.87.
Data Analysis
Multiple regression analysis to assess whether total scores on the STEU, STEM-B, and TEIque, predict total Compassion scores
Path analysis to determine how well each component of trait and ability EI predict each component of compassion.
Discussion
With multiple regression, all EI facets predicted Compassion; trait EI as the strongest predictor.
Generally, trait and ability EI positively predicted positive aspects of compassion and negatively predicted negative aspects of compassion; consistent with relations between EI and constructs similar to compassion.9,10
Self-control negatively predicted kindness; consistent with negative relation between self-control and empathy,13 but inconsistent with positive relation between emotion regulation and compassion.14
Sociability not predictive of compassion components; comfort in social environments does not uniquely predict compassionate behaviours.
Emotionality tended to have strongest relations with compassion facets; could be due to shared features with empathy among constructs.
Future studies
Investigate all facets of ability EI.
Explore relations between different measures of EI and compassion for others.
Address why sociability may not predict compassion.
Introduction
Results
Compassion for Others
Encompasses 3 components and their diametric opposites.1,2
Kindness (vs. indifference): Being warm and understanding to others.
Common humanity (vs separation): Perceiving a shared human experience.
Mindfulness (vs. disengagement): Emotional balance and connection with the present moment.
Positively associated with: life satisfaction, prosocial behaviour, and social connectedness.1,3
Ability EI
Concept of EI as a set of emotion-related abilities; considered in the domain of intelligence4. In this study, encompasses:
Emotional understanding: The ability to recognize and distinguish between discrete emotional states.4
Emotional management: The ability to regulate negative emotions, and enhance positive emotions.4
Trait EI
Concept of EI as a set of self-perceived emotion-related traits; considered in the domain of personality.5 In this study, encompasses:
Emotionality: Awareness of emotions in self and others.5
Sociability: Comfort in various social settings.5
Self-Control: Perceived control and management of emotions and impulses.5
Well-Being: Perceived life satisfaction, optimism and self-esteem.5
Evidence of EI and Compassion Relations
Perspective taking is a necessary component of compassion for others.1 Components of EI have positively predicted perspective taking.6
Theoretical overlap between constructs of empathy, EI, and compassion.1,5 EI and compassion positively correlate with empathy, and components of EI positively predict empathy.1,7,8
EI is positively correlated to constructs similar to compassion, such as self-compassion, and caring for others.9,10
EI has positive relations with the compassion component, mindfulness.11
Rationale Underlying EI and Compassion Relations
No prior investigations on how trait and ability EI predict Pommier’s1 compassion for others.
Previous findings that EI predicts constituents of compassion or constructs similar to compassion.
Research Questions
Are EI variables significantly related to compassion for others?
Which facets of EI relate most highly to components of compassion?
What components of EI predict each of the compassion components?
In a multiple regression analysis, compassion scores were significantly predicted by the STEU, β = 0.23, p < .001, the STEM-B, β = 0.16, p = .001, and the TEIque, β = 0.35, p < The full regression model explained a significant proportion of variance in Compassion scores, R2 = .26, p < .001.
The results of the path analysis are depicted in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Significant Pathways of EI Predicting Compassion Components
References
Pommier, E. A. (2011). The compassion scale.  Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 72, 1174.
Neff, K. D. (2003a). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2(3),
Sprecher, S., & Fehr, B. (2005). Compassionate love for close others and humanity. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 22(5), doi: /
MacCann, C. & Roberts, R. D. (2008). Paradigms for assessing emotional intelligence: Theory and data. Emotions 8 (4), doi: /a
Petrides, K. V. (2009).  Psychometric properties of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. In C. Stough, D. H. Saklofske, and J. D. Parker, Advances in the assessment of emotional intelligence. New York: Springer. DOI: / _5
Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Bobik, C., Coston, T. D., Greeson, C., Jedlicka, C., ... & Wendorf, G. (2001). Emotional intelligence and interpersonal relations. The Journal of social psychology, 141(4),
Mayer, J. D., Caruso, D. R., & Salovey, P. (1999). Emotional intelligence meets traditional standards for an intelligence. Intelligence, 27,
Hen, M., & Sharabi-Nov, A. (2014). Teaching the teachers: Emotional intelligence training for teachers. Teaching Education, 25(4),
Neff, K. D. (2003b). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2(2),
Rego, A., Godinho, L., McQueen, A., & Cunha, M. P. (2010). Emotional intelligence and caring behaviour in nursing. The Service Industries Journal,30(9),
Schutte, N. S., & Malouff, J. M. (2011). Emotional intelligence mediates the relationship between mindfulness and subjective well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 50(7),
Allen, V., Rahman, N., Weissman, A., MacCann, C., Lewis, C., & Roberts, R. (2015). The situational test of emotional management - brief (STEM-B): Development and validation using item response theory and latent class analysis.Personality and Individual Differences, 81, doi: /j.paid
Fitness, J., & Curtis, M. (2005). Emotional intelligence and the Trait Meta-Mood Scale: Relationships with empathy, attributional complexity, self-control, and responses to interpersonal conflict. Sensoria: A Journal of Mind, Brain & Culture, 1(1), 50-62
Goetz, J. L., Keltner, D., & Simon-Thomas, E. (2010). Compassion: an evolutionary analysis and empirical review. Psychological bulletin, 136(3), 351.
Table 1. Zero-Order Correlations between EI and Compassion Facets.
STEU
STEM
Wellbeing
Self Control
Emotion.
Sociab. -
48*** 06
12*
-01 05
Emotionality
47***
37***
Sociability
44***
27***
38***
Poster presented at the 77th Annual Convention of the Canadian Psychological Association, Victoria, BC. If you have any questions, please contact the first author at