The focus of this research is to examine the impact of emotional intelligence on consumer decision making. Several research goals are presented: 1) to develop and test a practical domain-specific scale of emotional ability, 2) to identify the influence of emotional ability on behavioral individual and group level performance in a consumer context, 3) and to identify how performance is further influenced by cognitive ability, cognitive and emotional confidence and calibration between perceived (i.e., confidence) and actual ability. Three studies were conducted to meet these goals. Study 1 involved the development and validation of a consumer emotional ability scale (CEAS), based on four underlying emotional abilities (i.e., perceiving, facilitating, understanding, managing). This instrument allowed for further examination of how emotional intelligence affected performance among consumer relationships. A proposed conceptual model was examined in an individual (study 2) and small group (study 3) context using the CEAS scale, along with additional items to assess the influence of cognitive ability, cognitive and emotional confidence, and calibration on performance in the consumer domain of healthy food choices. / Ph. D.

Although emotional maltreatment is clearly a very important issue that impedes youths' development, it has only recently begun to receive the attention it deserves. The present study hypothesized that for adolescents with high self-worth, high religiosity, high parent and peer support, high family cohesion, and low family conflict the negative effects of emotional abuse on internalizing symptomatology would attenuate. Additionally, the same protective factors were hypothesized to moderate the relationship between emotional and physical abuse and adolescent internalizing symptomatology. Two samples were used in order to test the aforementioned hypotheses: 1) a whole sample that consisted of adolescents with no or any emotional and physical abuse (N = 220) and 2) a no physical abuse sample that consisted of adolescents with no or any emotional abuse (N = 118). In order to assess the study variables the following measures were used: Conflict Tactics Scale-PC, Self-Perception Profile, Youth Religiosity Scale, Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, Family Environment Scale, and Youth Self Report. None of the study's hypotheses were supported by the current data. It is assumed that this might be due to the sample's nature and it is suggested that future studies utilize a sample with different age groups and with higher reports (means) of emotional and physical abuse. However, the findings suggested that emotional abuse had a stronger effect on internalizing symptomatology than physical abuse, and the significant main effects of self-worth, parent support, peer support, and family cohesion indicated the importance of their presence in adolescents' psychological adjustment. / Ph. D.

In the construction industry, the major project participants include the owner, the architect, the contractor and the subcontractors. Traditionally, each participant's activity in the construction process has been isolated to its particular organization's goals. In recent years, one of the leading trends of project deliveries has been a movement toward a more collaborative, teaming environment. Successful collaboration requires effective interaction among project participants. A fundamental understanding of barriers and challenges to effective interaction among a diverse project team is necessary towards creating truly collaborative project teams in construction. Emotional intelligence reflects an individual's emotional awareness and emotional regulation, both important factors of social interaction. An initial understanding of the project participant's emotional intelligence would provide meaningful direction for the construction industry in regards where improvements should be focused. As such, the present research study investigates the 21 components of the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) within the construction industry. This investigation creates an emotional intelligence yardstick by which to measure and compare future research. This study also explores several trends and relationships within this benchmarking in regards to demographics and General Contractor characteristics. In addition, this current research explores the General Contracting sector's perception of other A/E/C industry sectors. This research study adds to the already growing research that is focusing on the impact of social factors on the success of the A/E/C industry. The results of this study provide a meaningful initial understanding of the emotional intelligence levels of the General Contracting sector. This initial understanding provides academia and industry with several key findings and directions for future research. / Master of Science

Despite many positive outcomes associated with emotion coaching, factors related to individual differences in emotion coaching have yet to be explored. The current study examined cultural differences in the role of maternal characteristics, specifically emotional awareness and emotion regulation, as determinants of emotion coaching. These findings will facilitate culturally desired emotion socialization practices leading to optimal emotional development of children. In the current study, I translated two English-based questionnaires into Chinese to assess maternal emotional awareness and emotion coaching. Next, I examined relations of reappraisal, suppression, and emotional awareness to maternal emotion coaching. I also investigated the role of maternal emotional awareness as a mediator in the relation of maternal use of reappraisal and suppression to maternal emotion coaching in both Chinese and American cultures. Participants included American (n=164) and 163 Chinese (n=163) mothers. Maternal emotional awareness was measured using subscales of Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20 and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Emotion regulation strategies were assessed using Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. To measure emotion coaching, mothers completed Parents' Beliefs about Children's Emotions questionnaire. Structural equation models were estimated to examine how maternal emotional awareness and emotion regulation related to emotion coaching. Results confirmed the reliability and validity of the Chinese questionnaires. Maternal emotion coaching did not include mothers' views about negative emotions because equivalence could not be established across Chinese and American cultures; therefore, the emotion coaching discussed in this study is different from previous research on emotion coaching that typically involves responses to negative emotions. Maternal emotional awareness was associated with their emotion coaching in both samples and the strength of the association was not different across cultures. However, relations of reappraisal and suppression to emotional awareness and emotion coaching were different across Chinese and American samples. Emotional awareness mediated the relation of reappraisal to emotion coaching only in the American sample. Additionally, emotional awareness was a mediator of the relation of suppression to emotion coaching in both samples. Overall, the findings of this study supported that maternal emotional awareness and use of emotion regulation strategies are important determinants of maternal emotion coaching in both cultures. / Ph. D.

Yes / Effective and efficient healthcare not only depends on good interpersonal communication but also on the ability of organisations to communicate successfully and professionally. Yet organisations can become entrenched in rules, regulations and expected behaviours that stifle creative responses to work situations. Deep-seated bureaucracy can alienate the personal, and is made even more challenging if the organisation has multi-sites. This chapter will examine the many varied structures of organisation, and how communication flow within organisations can limit or expand inclusion of staff members within its boundaries. This chapter offers several barriers to good organisational communication and suggests ways these hurdles can be overcome. The ethics of healthcare practice is discussed in relation to the effect on the individual and the organisation, highlighting how both parties could respond to avoid conflict, clash and threats to professionalism. Above all, this chapter emphasises how open and honest personcentred communication in an organisation can lead to healthy outcomes for staff and patients alike.

Yes / Agile development methodologies (ADM) have become a widely implemented project management approach in Information Systems (IS). Yet, along with its growing popularity, the amount of concerns raised in regard to human related challenges caused by applyingADMare rapidly increasing. Nevertheless, the extant scholarly literature has neglected to identify the primary origins and reasons of these challenges. The purpose of this study is therefore to examine if these human related challenges are related to a lack of Emotional Intelligence (EI) by means of a quantitative approach. Froma sample of 194 agile practitioners, EI was found to be significantly correlated to human related challenges in agile teams in terms of anxiety, motivation, mutual trust and communication competence. Hence, these findings offer important new knowledge for IS-scholars, project managers and human resource practitioners, about the vital role of EI for staffing and training of agile managed IS-projects.

In recent years the NCAA has had problems with the delinquent behavior of collegiate athletes on and off the field. The ability to know what causes athletes to act out will help athletic programs and reputations. Psychological behaviors have been related to sports performance and behavior in prior studies In this study, we hypothesized that higher Emotional Intelligence in collegiate athletes, the ability to perceive, understand and manage one's emotions, will be related to lower acts of delinquent behavior on and off the field, as well as better performance during games. Study participants were Virginia Tech Soccer, Basketball, and Football male student athletes. We assessed emotional intelligence using the MSCEIT v.2.0 and also measured self report delinquent behavior and game statistics. None of our hypotheses were supported. A major reason for the lack of evidence to support our hypotheses may have been low statistical power and possible sampling biases. / Master of Science

The topic of emotional intelligence (EQ) and organisational culture has attracted considerable interest from both academics and practitioners for many years. Much of the interest in the two areas is based on explicit and implicit claims that both leader's emotional intelligence and organisational culture are linked to organisational performance. However, while the links between emotional intelligence and organisational performance and between organisational culture and organisational performance have been examined independently, few studies have investigated the association among the three concepts. This study examines the nature of this relationship and presents empirical evidence that suggests there is a complex relationship between emotional intelligence, organisational culture and organisational performance. The study concludes with implications for theory and practice. / Graduate SBL / D.B.L.

Psychological constructs may have significant influence on police leadership. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between, Emotional Intelligence, Self-Efficacy and Leadership Effectiveness within a policing context. Leadership within the policing environment in particular the South African context has raised contentious issues over the past decade. This research adopted a quantitative study and the sample was made up of 107 police personnel in commanding positions. The measuring instruments used were the Assessing Emotions Scale, Self-Efficacy Scale and Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. The results of this research study confirm a positive relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Self-Efficacy and Leadership Effectiveness. The insights gained from the findings may be used to guide selection of future leaders within the policing environment and may also be used to establish future developmental programmes and research initiatives. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M. A.(Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Introduction. A mother’s verbal and non-verbal behaviour towards her infant is known as maternal responsiveness (MR). Positive MR is associated with better child social and emotional development (SED). A mother’s ability to accurately recognise emotions is thought to enhance MR. Method. Data from 1,122 mother-infant interactions from a longitudinal birth cohort study, was used firstly to examine whether positive MR at 12 months was associated with better child and adolescent SED, and secondly to explore whether better maternal facial and vocal expression recognition at 151 months was associated with positive MR and child SED. MR was measured using the Thorpe Interaction Measure (TIM) from observed mother-infant interactions and SED from questionnaire data adjusting for potential confounding variables. A test of facial expression recognition was used with vocal expression recognition additionally used in mothers. Results. Logistic regression revealed that positive MR was associated with positive SED outcomes in childhood but there was little effect in adolescence. Positive MR was associated with mothers having better facial and vocal expression recognition at 151 months and these recognition skills were associated with children showing less emotional problems at 158 months independent of MR. Adjustments for confounding variables had no effect on these results. Conclusion: These findings support the benefit of positive MR on a child’s SED in middle childhood. Further, the findings suggest that a mother’s facial and vocal expression recognition skills are important to both MR and a child’s SED. Limitations include subjective reporting of SED.