MSCEIT & TESIS: Relationships between two ability-based Emotional Intelligence tests

This paper presents an empirical study comparing the performance of two ability-based Emotional Intelligence (EI) tests (MSCEIT and TESIS). A sample of 164 participants completed both instruments and significant correlations were obtained among several of the tests scores, although remarkable differences were also found. The Spanish MSCEIT overall score and two of its areas (Experiential and Strategic) showed a correlation of .18 with the TESIS total score (Sensitivity). Several MSCEIT sub-tests correlated discreetly but significantly with the three TESIS scores (Sensitivity, Naïve-Insensitivity and Over-interpreting-Insensitivity). From a differential point of view, both TESIS and MSCEIT seem to detect changes in EI due to age but, in the case of MSCEIT, results were counter-intuitive (EI descreases with age). Similarly, TESIS results seemed more logical than those of the MSCEIT when comparing groups by gender, although not reaching statistical significance. When analysing undergraduate students, MSCEIT was more discriminative than TESIS, but again the results were controversial. All these data raise the need to better understand the variables measured by both tests, and also question whether the current instruments for measuring EI have actually gathered evidence of construct validity.