Is ability-based emotional intelligence impervious to the Flynn effect? A cross-temporal meta-analysis (2001–2015)

Abstract

Generational IQ test score changes (i.e., the Flynn effect) have been shown to affect most measures of cognitive ability, although certain domains appear to be impervious. Because IQ test score changes have been found to differ between domains, evidence for specific domains is warranted to explain the nature, meaning, and causes of the Flynn effect. In the present cross-temporal meta-analysis, we investigated potential test score changes over time for ability emotional intelligence as assessed with a widely-used measure (i.e., the MSCEIT V2.0) based on data from 160 samples (N=16,738) from English-speaking countries over a time-span of 15years (2001–2015). We found no evidence for substantial generational test score changes in overall or branch (i.e., subscale) ability emotional IQ scores. Consistent with our expectations, test performance was substantially higher for women in most measures. Contrary to our expectations though, average performance of our participants was considerably lower than the performance of normative samples on all scales, thus raising concerns about the appropriateness of the current norms. In all, we argue that ability emotional IQ as measured with the MSCEIT V2.0 is largely unaffected by typical causes that have been proposed as responsible for the Flynn effect. This may be due to the close association of this construct with psychometric g (associations of MSCEIT V2.0 scores with cognitive task performance were modest in our data) on one hand and personality traits on the other hand, both of which have been shown not to be associated with test score gains.