Emotional Intelligence in Adolescents: How it Relates to Giftedness

The current study addresses the concept of emotional intelligence and how it relates to gifted adolescents. Until recently, it was not possible to test the theory of emotional intelligence. With the advent of the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory and BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version, it became possible for the first time, to measure emotional intelligence in adults and adolescents. However, up to this point, there has been very little if any empirical research conducted with gifted adolescents and emotional intelligence. In addition, there has been a long-standing debate within the scientific literature concerning the social emotional adjustment of academically gifted adolescents. On one side of the debate are researchers who argue gifted individuals are poor in social emotional adjustment. On the other side of the debate are researchers who claim that gifted individuals are actually higher in social emotional adjustment than their nongifted peers. Therefore, the current research was conducted to provide a sample (n=100) for gifted adolescents on the Bar-On EQ-i, Youth Version, and to add additional empirical research to the debate on gifted adolescents. Results from the current study confirmed three of six hypotheses. Specifically, gifted adolescents scored significantly higher than their nongifted same age peers on the Adaptability dimension, Stress Management dimension and on the Total EQ composite of the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version. Over all the current findings support the view that gifted adolescents are socially and emotionally well adjusted