Abstract
Previous neuroimaging studies have suggested that the neural bases of trait emotional intelligence (TEI) lie in the social cognition network (SCN) and the somatic marker circuitry (SMC). The current study was the first to investigate the associations of total TEI factors and subfactors with mean diffusivity (MD) of these networks as well as regional MD of the dopaminergic system (MDDS). We found that TEI intrapersonal factor score and total TEI score were negatively correlated with regional MDDS in the vicinity of the right putamen and right pallidum and that TEI intrapersonal factor score was negatively correlated with MD values of the fusiform gyrus. Total TEI score and TEI factor scores were positively correlated with MD values of various areas within or adjacent to SCN components, SMC structures and the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC). Our MD findings demonstrated the importance of the dopaminergic system to TEI and implicate the SCN, SMC and LPFC in TEI. Future studies are required to investigate the implications of positive and negative associations with MD values.
Highlights
It has been shown that emotional intelligence (EI) can predict performance in various situations, social and emotional situations (Ciarocchi et al, 2005; Van Rooy & Viswesvaran, 2004)
These results were consistent with our general hypothesis that MD of the dopaminergic system (MDDS) and mean diffusivity (MD) values of the areas of the somatic marker circuitry (SMC) and of the social cognition network (SCN) are associated with trait emotional intelligence (TEI)
We found that the TEI intrapersonal factor score negatively correlated with MDDS, MD of the areas in and around the right putamen, right pallidum, and right posterior insula as well as with MD values of the right fusiform gyrus, a key node of the SCN
Summary
It has been shown that emotional intelligence (EI) can predict performance in various situations, social and emotional situations (Ciarocchi et al, 2005; Van Rooy & Viswesvaran, 2004). It is generally accepted that there are two types of EI: trait EI (TEI), which is typically measured by self-report questionnaires, and ability EI (AEI), which is typically measured by performance in certain cognitive tests Both constructs have strengths and weakness for predicting other psychometric variables as well as common and distinct characteristics, which are summarized in our previous study (Hikaru Takeuchi et al, 2013a). Our recent studies have focused on TEI rather than AEI based on findings of intact AEI in Asperger syndrome (Montgomery et al, 2010; Montgomery et al, 2008) This is because autistic traits, which cause impaired abilities in social interactions, are important for the neuroscience as well as concepts of EI
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