The phenotypic (observed), genetic, and environmental correlations were examined in a sample of adult twins between the four factors and global score of the trait emotional intelligence questionnaire (TEIQue) and the seven vocational interest factors of the Jackson Career Explorer (JCE). Multiple significant correlations were found involving the work style vocational interest factor (consisting of job security, stamina, accountability, planfulness, and interpersonal confidence) and the social vocational interest factor (which included interests in the social sciences, personal services, teaching, social services, and elementary education), both of which correlated significantly with all of the TEIQue variables (well-being, self-control, emotionality, sociability, and global trait EI). Following bivariate genetic analyses, most of the significant phenotypic correlations were found to also have significant genetic correlations as well as significant non-shared (unique) environmental correlations.

In this article, a leadership model is presented, with which to investigate the relationship of trait emotional intelligence (trait EI), leadership self-efficacy and leader's task self-efficacy with collective task efficacy and group performance. The sample was made up of 217 undergraduate students, randomly assigned to work teams of 1 leader and 2 followers that were requested to perform a production task. An adapted version of the Schutte Self-Report Inventory (SSRI; Schutte et al., 1998) was used to measure trait EI. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships. Results indicated that task self-efficacy was a mediator between leadership self-efficacy and collective task efficacy; the latter, in turn, was the best predictor of group performance. No significant relationship was found between trait EI and collective task efficacy although, unexpectedly, trait EI was positively associated with leadership self-efficacy. Implications of the results are discussed.

This replication study examines relations between alexithymia and trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) at the phenotypic, genetic, and environmental levels. A sample of 1,444 same-sex twin pairs (850 MZ pairs and 594 DZ pairs) completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. A subset of 494 same-sex twin pairs (287 MZ pairs and 207 DZ pairs) had earlier completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. Individual differences in alexithymia were attributable to genetic, non-shared environmental, and shared environmental factors. All but one of the facets of alexithymia were negatively and significantly correlated with the factors of trait EI, and these phenotypic correlations were entirely attributable to correlated genetic and correlated non-shared environmental factors. These bivariate results provide a valuable replication of those of Baughman et al. (Twin Research and Human Genetics, Vol. 14, 2011, pp. 539–543), which was conducted with substantially smaller samples of twins.

Two studies were conducted to see whether a general factor of personality (GFP) could be extracted from different measures of personality. Using samples of twins in both studies also allowed an assessment of the extent to which genetic and/ or environmental factors contributed to individual differences in the GFPs that were found. In Study 1, principal components analysis of the Big Five personality traits in combination with four scales of mental toughness yielded a strong GFP and behavior genetic model-fitting showed that individual differences in this GFP were fully accounted for by genetic and nonshared environmental factors. In Study 2, a GFP was extracted from the Big Five traits in combination with 15 facets of emotional intelligence. Individual differences in this GFP were also fully accounted for by genetic and nonshared environmental factors. These studies add to the growing body of research demonstrating the existence of a GFP and replicate one previous report of its heritability.

This study reports the first behavioral genetic investigation of the extent to which genetic and/or environmental factors contribute to the relationship between the Big Five personality factors and trait emotional intelligence. 213 pairs of adult monozygotic twins and 103 pairs of same-sex dizygotic twins completed the NEO-PI-R and the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue). Replicating previous non-twin studies, many significant phenotypic correlations were found between the Big Five factors — especially Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness — and the facets, factors, and global scores derived from the TEIQue. Bivariate behavioral genetic model-fitting analyses revealed that these phenotypic correlations were primarily attributable to correlated genetic factors and secondarily to correlated non-shared environmental factors. The results support the feasibility of incorporating EI as a trait within existing personality taxonomies.

The present study investigated the location of trait emotional intelligence (trait EI or trait emotional self-efficacy) within the context of the HEXACO model — a more comprehensive personality framework than the conventional Big Five structure. A total of 666 MZ and 526 DZ adult twin pairs from the United Kingdom completed the short form of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue-SF) and the short form of the HEXACO Personality Inventory (HEXACO-60). Many significant phenotypic correlations between the TEIQue-SF and the HEXACO-60 were obtained, which were strongest for HEXACO Extraversion, and weakest for HEXACO Honesty–Humility. As was expected, Emotionality was the only HEXACO dimension to correlate negatively with TEIQue-SF scores. Bivariate behavioral genetic analyses revealed that all phenotypic correlations were attributable to common genetic and common nonshared environmental factors. The study confirms the validity of trait EI as a constellation of emotional self-perceptions located at the lower levels of personality.