Are gifted students more emotionally intelligent than their non-gifted peers? A meta-analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT This Meta-Analysis investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and giftedness. The study focused on whether gifted learners possessed higher levels of EI when compared with their non-gifted peers. Furthermore, it sought to determine if gifted males and gifted females differed in their EI abilities. A search of published and unpublished studies in English and Arabic from 1990 to 2018 resulted in 21 studies that compared gifted with non-gifted students, and 11 studies that compared gifted males with gifted females in their EI ability. Using a random-effect model, the results showed that gifted students outperformed non-gifted students on EI, g = 0.226, SE = .036, 95% CI [0.155, 0.297], p < .001. Furthermore, in regards to emotional intelligence, gifted females significantly surpassed gifted males., g = 0.164, SE = .046, 95% CI [0.074, 0.255], p < .001. Multiple regression analyses showed that age, gender, EI measures, and EI skills significantly explained 18% of the variability in the mean effect between gifted vs. non-gifted students; whereas the age and EI skills moderators significantly explained 49% of the variation in the mean effect between gifted male and gifted female students. Implications and future directions were discussed.