2.3.2 BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory (BarOn EQ-i®)
Purpose
The BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory (BarOn EQ-i®) is designed to assess emotional intelligence. It measures various aspects of emotional and social functioning that contribute to individual success in personal and professional life. The instrument evaluates five facets of emotional intelligence:
Intrapersonal: Self-regard, emotional self-awareness, assertiveness, independence, self-actualization)
Interpersonal: Empathy, social responsibility, interpersonal relationships
Stress management: Stress tolerance, impulse control
Adaptability: Reality testing, flexibility, problem-solving
General mood scale: Optimism, happiness
The author states that more than 110,000 individuals from around the world have taken the test. It is suitable for individuals ages 16 and older (a youth version caters to ages 7-15). It is useful not only for assessment but also for preventive emotional education, particularly for children, helping them develop emotional awareness, improve coping skills, and enhance social interactions.
Description
Reuven Bar-On, a psychologist and pioneer of emotional intelligence research, developed the BarOn EQ-i® following more than 20 years of research in the field. The format of the instrument is a self-report questionnaire with 133 items. It typically takes around 35 minutes.
The instrument’s Likert-type questions assess various emotional-social behaviors and aspects of emotional intelligence aspects. It yields a total score, five component scores, and 15 subscale scores. Bar-On (1997) reported that Internal consistency ranged from .69 to .86 with an overall average of .76. Test-retest was .85 at 1 month and .75 at 4 months. Item analysis was used to improve content and face validities. Construct validity was obtained through 6 studies using 10 similar instruments. Dawda & Hart (2000) tested BarOn EQ-i® among 243 university students. Findings revealed that the instruments exhibited strong item consistency and internal reliability without significant influences from response patterns or biases.
The BarOn EQ-i® might have some limitations. For example, the wording of some questions might be difficult to understand for individuals from different cultural backgrounds or those unfamiliar with specific leadership terminology. Moreover, assessing all aspects of emotional intelligence in one test can be overwhelming and potentially miss nuances in specific leadership contexts. Further research is needed to ensure the BarOn EQ-i® effectiveness across diverse leadership situations and to refine the instrument for optimal accuracy.
Access
BarOn EQ-i® can be accessed via this link: http://www.hpsys.com/EI_BarOnEQ-I.htm. Prior to usage, permission from the authors or copyright holders may be necessary.
References
Bar-On, R. (1997). BarOn emotional quotient inventory: A test of emotional intelligence. Multi-Health Systems, Inc.
Carlson, J. F., Geisinger, K. F., Jonson, J. L., & Anderson, N. A. (Eds.). (2021). The twenty-first mental measurements yearbook. Buros Institute of Mental Measurements.
Dawda, D., & Hart, S. D. (2000). Assessing emotional intelligence: Reliability and validity of the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) in university students. Personality and Individual Differences, 28(4), 797–812. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00139-7
