Part I: Getting Started with the EQ-i 2.0

Introduction

Features and Benefits

The EQ‑i 2.0 was constructed by reviewing and generating items to fit specific operationally defined factors, and the final selection of these items was based on statistical item analysis and the opinions of experienced practitioners and human resources professionals.

The fifteen-factor model of the EQ-i (Bar-On 1997), and the EQ‑i 2.0 model is often cited as its most defining feature because each subscale acts as a building block or foundational skill for most job competencies. This approach has proven to be extremely engaging in coaching situations. Imagine an executive whose goal is to improve his resiliency and innovation: these high-level functions can be nebulous and difficult to measure. However, if one looks at resiliency as a combination of Stress Management, Flexibility, and Optimism, and innovation as a combination of Problem Solving, Reality Testing, and Independence, one can begin to imagine very actionable steps to improve these executive competencies. The EQ‑i 2.0 subscales underpin most so-called “soft skills” and can be theoretically or empirically mapped onto any organization’s existing competency framework making it a very versatile and intuitive assessment.

The EQ‑i 2.0 is fairly brief in comparison to many other self-report inventories and has a frequency-based response format that tends to elicit better quality information from respondents. The assessment is not too brief that it lacks appropriate coverage of the construct it is trying to measure; it contains enough items to properly measure the construct and provide the client with clear strategies they can use to improve.

For example, if “I am self-aware” was the only item measuring Emotional Self-Awareness, how would a respondent know what to do differently to improve? However, if there are several different items like “I recognize when I am upset” and “I am aware of the impact of my mood on others”, it begins to build a picture of the construct and offer precise situations and actions that individuals can work on to improve.

In addition to the general features of the EQ‑i 2.0, there are additional advantages of using this inventory:

• A large normative database of thousands of participants provides a representative sample of the population (within 4% of the Canadian and U.S. census figures (Statistics Canada, 2006; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2008) against which each respondent’s results can be scored:

  EQ-i 2.0: 4,000 respondents
  EQ 360 2.0: 3,200 raters
  Higher Education: 1,800 respondents

• Based on the original EQ-i (Bar-On, 1997) and supported by more than 25 years of research
• A multidimensional scope (a total EI scale, five EI composite scales, 15 EI subscales)
• Five Response Style Indicators assist with ensuring the accuracy of results
• An international and multicultural focus (EQ-i 2.0 items were created to be as universally applicable as possible)
• Very strong statistical reliability and validity
• Versatile (the EQ‑i 2.0 can be used in corporate, educational, clinical, medical, and research settings)
• The premier measure of emotional intelligence
• A concise (approximately a half hour) and easy-to-use measure
• Appropriate for most individuals aged 18 years and older
• An extensive line of supporting resources

These features are described in more detail throughout this manual.