Trait emotional intelligence and somatic complaints with reference to positive and negative mood

This study examined the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) and somatic complaints after controlling for positive and negative affect (PA and NA). 362 volunteers (222 males) completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF), the Somatic Complaint List (SCL), and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scales (PANAS). Results showed that high trait EI is positively correlated to PA and negatively correlated to NA and somatic complaints, but that it can predict somatic complaints over and above PA and NA. These findings highlight the protective role of trait EI in mental and physical health

Exploring multiple factors affecting participation outcomes for children with communication aids

Many factors affect how much communication aids support and promote children’s participation in everyday settings. However, little research has explored which combinations of environmental, child and communication aid factors appear most influential. This paper will present preliminary findings from a pilot study of outcomes of communication aid provision to children. The main aims were to: (1) develop a self-report questionnaire for the parents and carers; (2) conduct a descriptive analysis of parents’ and carers’ perspectives. It is hoped that this presentation will stimulate discussion on issues such as identifying key influential factors in the take-up and use of communication aids and measuring children’s participation

Psychometric properties of the Emotion Awareness Questionnaire for children

In order to broaden the alexithymia concept, we identified six aspects in a newly developed questionnaire for children which aims to measure emotion awareness: Differentiating Emotions, Verbal Sharing of Emotions, Bodily Awareness, Acting Out Emotions, Analyses of Emotions, and Others? Emotions. First, the six-factor structure of this Emotion Awareness Questionnaire was identified in children (692 children, 9-16 years old), although the scale Acting Out Emotions showed poor psychometric properties. Second, the predictive validity of the Emotion Awareness Questionnaire showed promise with respect to self-reported somatic complaints (in samples from two different countries, the UK and the Netherlands), depression and worry. Only Acting Out Emotions did not contribute to any of the criterion variables whilst Bodily Awareness and Others? Emotions contributed in the unexpected direction. It is proposed that the Emotion Awareness Questionnaire could help to identify which specific elements of emotional (dys)functioning are related to different kinds of psychological problems

Factors associated with the participation of children with complex communication needs

The aim of this study was to conduct a preliminary analysis of relations between child and environmental variables, including factors related to communication aid provision, and participation in informal everyday activities in a sample of children with complex communication needs.Ninety-seven caregivers of children provided with communication aids responded to a questionnaire survey. Child variables assessed were level of ability, trait emotional self-efficacy, and competence in communication aid use. Environmental variables assessed were the impact of childhood disability on the family, family socio-economic category, perceived reliability of electronic communication aids provided to children, and ease of use of the aid. The outcome measure was the intensity of child participation in informal activities.Significant correlations were observed between participation scores and the following variables: child age, level of ability, trait emotional self-efficacy, and family impact of childhood disability. Regression analyses highlighted trait emotional self-efficacy and, to a lesser degree, family impact of childhood disability as the strongest potential predictors of participation.While aspects of child personality may be difficult to disentangle from behaviours related to disability type or developmental age, this research highlights a clinical requirement to assess systematically child behaviours relating to their general emotional functioning. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Associations between trait emotional intelligence, actual–ideal weight discrepancy, and positive body image

This study examined associations between trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) and two measures of body image, namely actual–ideal weight discrepancy and body appreciation. A total of 108 women completed the Photographic Figure Rating Scale, the Body Appreciation Scale, the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire-3, and provided their demographic details. Correlations showed that all trait EI factors were significantly associated with both actual–ideal weight discrepancy and body appreciation. In multiple regressions, only the well-being factor emerged as a significant predictor of actual–ideal weight discrepancy and body appreciation, respectively, once participant weight status and media influence had been controlled. These results are discussed in relation to interventions aimed at promoting positive body image through optimizing trait EI

Cognitive Predictors of Self-Reported Camouflaging in Autistic Adolescents

Camouflaging involves masking and/or compensating for autistic characteristics and has been identified in autistic individuals through a variety of different methods. Individual variation in the extent, processes and outcomes of camouflaging has been reported in autistic adults, and there has been some investigation of camouflaging by autistic adolescents. This study was conducted to better understand how some of these individual differences emerge, by examining potential mechanisms (theory of mind, executive function, intelligence quotient and age) involved in camouflaging by 58 autistic adolescents aged 13-18 years (29 females, 29 males). Fewer executive function difficulties predicted greater use of total camouflaging strategies and the compensation subscale, but not the masking or assimilation subscales; no other predictors reached statistical significance. These findings suggest that individual differences in executive function ability may underlie variation in the use of camouflaging by adolescents. The total variance explained in the model was small, suggesting the need to examine other factors which may underpin camouflaging. The implications of this finding for the relationship between camouflaging and well-being are discussed, along with the distinction between attempts to camouflage and the efficacy of those attempts. LAY SUMMARY: Camouflaging involves hiding your autism or finding ways around difficulties in order to fit in during social situations. This study found that autistic teenagers with good executive function abilities camouflage their autism more than those who struggle with executive function (which includes planning, goal-direction and memory). This may have implications for teenagers' mental health and their social functioning

The effects of linguistic proficiency, trait emotional intelligence and cultural background on emotion recognition by English native speakers

Book synopsis: Interest in human emotion no longer equates to unscientific speculation. 21st-century humanities scholars are paying serious attention to our capacity to express emotions and giving rigorous explanations of affect in language. We are unquestionably witnessing an ‘emotional turn’ not only in linguistics, but also in other fields of scientific research. Emotion in Discourse follows from and reflects on this scholarly awakening to the world of emotion, and in particular, to its intricate relationship with human language. The book presents both the state of the art and the latest research in an effort to unravel the various workings of the expression of emotion in discourse. It takes an interdisciplinary approach, for emotion is a multifarious phenomenon whose functions in language are enlightened by such other disciplines as psychology, neurology, or communication studies. The volume shows not only how emotion manifests at different linguistic levels, but also how it relates to aspects like linguistic appraisal, emotional intelligence or humor, as well as covering its occurrence in various genres, including scientific discourse. As such, the book contributes to an emerging interdisciplinary field which could be labeled “emotionology”, transcending previous linguistic work and providing an updated characterization of how emotion functions in human discourse

A comparison of the trait emotional intelligence profiles of individuals with and without Asperger syndrome

The extent to which the socioemotional impairments of Asperger syndrome (AS) might be extreme manifestations of individual differences within the general population remains under-explored. We compared the trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) profiles of 30 individuals with AS against the profiles of 43 group-matched controls using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue). Participants with AS scored significantly lower than controls on 12 of the 15 TEIQue facets (ηp² = 0.09 to 0.49) as well as on all four factors and the global score of the construct (ηp² = 0.07 to 0.41). There was a significant main effect of gender, with men generally scoring higher than women. Results are discussed from the perspective of trait EI theory, with emphasis on its implications for the socioemotional impairments associated with AS