Emotional Intelligence Test

I liked the faces part, but I work with students all day and reading faces/body language is something I have to do constantly. Nothing like spending 24/7 with teenagers for 30 years to give a person great practice with that skill.

And that is why I like teaching at the post-graduate level.

The faces thing was just odd to me, but I rarely look at strangers and try to decide anything about them. I only do it with people I know and love in specific instances. The part where you had to pick after the stories about the people was almost worst than the pictures for me because I thought all the choices were wrong.

I was quite satisfied with the score (66 I think it was) and thought the blurb about what getting a higher score could do for me was sort of presumptuous in assuming that I would want such a thing. Any higher and, for me, it would mean I would be turning into some sort of hugging, weeping, hand holding new age hippie sort who people sought out to inflict their life story upon me while I gave them herbal tea and murmured empty pointless things like "and that made you feel sad" or something. Ack.
(and that is the restrained image that popped to mind)

LOL!! Just the thought!!

If it makes you feel better, I scored pretty high, but I promise I'm not a "hugging, weeping, hand holding new age hippie". You crack me up sometimes.

37. Not surprised, goes right along with what my T has been saying about my 'emotional intelligence maturity'. Although, I like to deny it and say she's wrong - I guess she's not....

So, if your score got higher, you might be in danger of becoming a therapist?

Oh good lord - that nightmare had not occurred to me. I was picturing more along the lines of birkenstocks, gauzy flowing garments, a constant waft of patchouli and andean flute music while handing out flyers to save igneous rocks (to complete the earlier awful image of it I had).

Hahaha - "save igneous rocks"

76.

I have no patience, so that was long and painful for me, whew.

I got 62. Not too bad I think.
I'd really like to know some of the answers, especiall because in many cases it seemed that several answers could have been right.

Hey raindrop we're practically twins! I got a 73!

I'm curious but very cyncial about on line tests like this, especially if the 'full report' requires payment. I'm led to believe that everyone who takes this test will be given less that a 'great' score and told they could "learn more" because that involves paying to do so.

But ... heck I'll take it anyway.

Great to know--out of curiosity what kind of therapy did you do? Just wondering because I'm thinking of seeing a new T.

All of my therapists were pretty eclectic. My most recent therapist was very behavioral (of various behavioral modalities) which I honestly think made the most lasting change for me. He wasn't exclusively behavioral though, and his behavioral approach was not at all short-term or superficial. It took many years to take those skills from simply theoretical and surface-level to the point of actually internalizing them and incorporating them into pretty much everything I do. That is NOT a quick paradigm shift; it was lots of work and practice, practice, practice until I was doing those things consistently without having to think about it. It definitely changed my approach to life in a very marked way.

I scored 60 Basic level, haha

Ok Cool thanks for the info!

There is no way I could finish this test. I am way too ADD.

74. Good I hope

Wow to the people who scored in the mid-70s I am right there with you! I think I did pretty damn well. I was very honest, and a lot of what it said holds true for me and I paid for the full disclosure and it had some very good advice that was just plain spot on.

Thank you for sharing, it definitely was a good experience and lent some excellent insight.

I will share with you some of my detailed report on being a "77"

Strengths

· You are aware of your strengths and weaknesses
· You are comfortable with emotions in general
· You performed well on the emotional integration aspect of the test
· You are socially insightful
· You are able/willing to adapt your social skills to the circumstances around you

Potential Strengths

· You have a satisfactory emotional IQ level
· You are doing reasonably well in the area of Emotional Identification, Perception, and Expression
· You were sometimes able to recognize the emotions depicted on the test
· You do not ruminate excessively, which is good, but you also may not give things sufficient thought
· You are doing reasonably well in the area of Emotional Understanding
· You are somewhat empathetic
· You are sometimes able to let go/rise above minor issues
· The manner in which YOU would resolve conflict situations on the test were reasonably effective/healthy
· You seem to be reasonably content
· You are somewhat flexible

Limitations

· Your emotional self-awareness is limited
· Improvement is required in the area of Emotional Facilitation of Thought
· Your approach to problem solving is not always conducive to resolution
· Your mindset could stand to be more positive
· You don't make it a point to act in accordance with your values
· You did not always choose the most ideal form of resolution for others' conflict situations on the test
· Improvement is required in the area of Emotional Management
· Your impulse control needs improvement
· Your self-control needs improvement
· Your resilience/hardiness needs further development
· You need to work on using more healthy coping techniques
· You are not very self-motivated
· You don't seem to be enthusiastically interested in striving for further self-development
· You are not very assertive
· Your self-esteem needs to be strengthened
· You seem to struggle to act independently

This is the "Advice Section" Some things that would be helpful to a "77"

Emotional Identification, Perception

Stay in touch with your feelings. Pay attention to what triggers them and how you react.

Pay attention to your body when you're upset, sad or angry. What are the signs? Learning to recognize how you react in response to different sentiments can help you become more in tune with your emotions.

Be honest with yourself. Everyone feels things, and it's nothing to hide or be nervous about. Emotions are important signals that we need to listen to in order to feel more fulfilled in life.

Get to know yourself better. For example, make a list of your strengths and limitations. The more in touch you are with who you are, the better you will be able to understand and handle your emotions.

Take small steps if you're not used to expressing emotions. Start with those that are the least intimidating and you will surely find that it's not as bad as you think. On the positive side, begin with genuine compliments and then take it further to an expression of appreciation. When you need to communicate a negative feeling, try writing it if you feel too intimidated to say it. Like learning any new skill, it will get easier with practice.

Consider the implications of not releasing your feelings. A lack of intimacy with others, pent up feelings, health problems, etc.

Remember that communication involves a lot more than what is just said. Our gestures, expressions and tone of voice send just as strong (or even stronger signals) than the words we choose, and can let us know how others are feeling (and lets other know how we are feeling).

Emotional Facilitation of Thought

Practice distinguishing between what you are thinking and what you are feeling. They are not always one and the same, and we need to recognize this in order to clearly express and understand where our feelings are coming from.

View setbacks as short-lived. Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed and find yourself plunging into negativity, remind yourself that things can get better. If you're having a hard time in a class you're taking, for example, or you're having relationship problems, look at it as temporary. Whatever the situation, you can take proactive steps to deal with the underlying issues. Even if you are faced with something that you will have to deal with for a lifetime (like a health problem or family issue), there is always some way to improve the situation. You will grow stronger, heal, or find better ways to cope.

Refuse to be a victim. Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman, renowned author and noted expert on positive psychology, states that the feeling of being a victim leads to learned helplessness. If you blame your problems on other people or circumstances, you will avoid taking personal responsibility for your life. While it may be true that there are things beyond your control, the majority of what happens in your life is up to YOU. Life may throw you many curveballs, but it is you who decides how you'll react to them.

Don't brush aside your gut instinct or intuition. Gut instinct is that voice in your head, that warning bell, that's trying to tell you that something isn't right. Some refer to it as a sixth sense. Whatever the label, it can offer us valuable information if we take a moment to listen. Those who ignore this inner voice can often end up regretting it. This doesn't mean that logic has no benefits. The perfect balance, in fact, would be to think a situation through, and then going with what feels right.

The good and the bad. Both good and bad feelings facilitate the thinking process by allowing us to view things from different perspectives. Did you ever notice how, when thinking pessimistically about a problem, you come up with solutions that are in line with that thinking, and when you think positively, the perspective and solutions change? Our feelings, good and bad, offer us different perspectives on the world. While one perspective may be more beneficial than the other, both angles offer us valuable information about the world around us, and about ourselves.

Emotional Understanding

Empathy. While you certainly can't fake empathy, you can increase your connection to other people by truly listening and trying to put yourself in their shoes.

Put empathy in action. Get involved in helping people in some way (i.e. volunteering); the closer you get to a situation, the more you will realize the difficulties others might be facing.

Put aside your own preoccupations. Consider what might be going through other people's minds in different situations. Ask yourself how you would feel in a similar situation - there are always several perspectives. Try to identify at least 2 or 3 different ways to look at it.

Understand that everyone has his or her bad days. Sure it can be hard to overlook it when someone snaps at you or is otherwise unpleasant, but remembering that nearly everyone is unpleasant sometimes when under stress (even you!) can help you learn to take things less personally.

Put yourself in the other person's shoes. Think about how your actions will affect others before you act. If you are unsure, ask! Not everyone thinks the same way you do. If your actions will have an effect on others, ask them if they are ok with the decision before you act.

Be aware of how others respond to you. Pay attention to how others are reacting, and what they are communicating to you. Putting in the extra effort to really listen and observe can teach you a lot about human interaction and emotions.

Don't fall victim to "The Fundamental Attribution Error". We as humans are forever trying to figure out the causes of other's actions. All too often, we attribute misfortunate behavior on the part of others to dispositional rather than situational factors. For instance, writing others off as jerks for snapping at you rather than looking for external causes such as being sick or having been fired that day. As a result, we are less forgiving than many situations call for. Try to understand that others are under just as much pressure and stress as you are and as a result, their behavior may not always represent who they are as people.

Emotional Management

Question your beliefs. Do you think ignoring your emotions will make them go away? While this may be true for minor issues, strong feelings will manifest themselves in other ways (health problems, bitterness, etc.).

Boost your coping skills. Build a supportive social network, learn how to relieve stress, etc.

Step back. If you're prone to losing control of your emotions, try taking a step back from heated situations. Give yourself some time to gain control rather than reacting immediately.

Practice. Practice keeping your feelings under control (without suppressing them) and it will become more natural. Learn the appropriate times to express them so that they don't boil over in inappropriate situations.

The source of emotions. Remember: emotion is just a whirlwind of activity passing through your body and mind. You help create it and feed it; how you react is important to its outcome. See a professional in cognitive therapy if you wish to learn concrete strategies to overcome negative thought patterns and to question any heavily ingrained beliefs.

Don't try to avoid confrontation at all costs. This results in a buildup of unresolved anger and frustration for both people. Sulking and denial do not accomplish anything either. Besides, bottled up frustration finds its way out, one way or another.

Take a time out. "When angry count to ten; when very angry count to 100." It's not always easy to maintain your composure when you feel like your "buttons" are being pushed, but it is essential that you make an effort to do so. It's important to cool down emotionally when a situation makes you upset or stressed. As time passes, you will be able to be more objective about the issues and to sort out the situation more clearly. Count for as long as it takes for you to reach a state of mind conducive to the cool, rational consideration of possible consequences of your actions. This counting technique can be used no matter what the intense feeling is.

81 and I really liked the faces part . It was fun.

I find it interesting that some people are happy with their score and other people with the same score, are not happy with it.
I'm not "happy" with mine, but I also have this "competitive" thing in me that always wants to do "better" than others no matter what (it's stupid, but I can't help it). Yet, I also am not at all surprised by the score I got.
I guess there you have it...I really don't know how I feel about the test and my results!

So people who have a lower EQ can't be satisfied with themselves?

This test really bugs me.

I don't think that's what it means. I think it is satisfactory as far as the test goes in general. Honestly, when it comes down to it, you have to be satisfied with YOU, not based on a test. I took it because I was curious. I view it the same way I would an IQ test. Just because I don't have a certain IQ level doesn't make me less intelligent that I feel I am. Same goes for this. I personally feel I have an above satisfactory EQ level!

I feel like the term "satisfactory" might be kind of an Americanism. When I was a small child, our report cards were graded "needs improvement" or "satisfactory". Satisfactory I think meant that you were functioning at the level that would allow you to keep succeeding at the next level. I suspect that's more the spirit that word is being used here than any deeper reading of what the word actually means. I can imagine if you're not used to hearing it in that context it would be a bit off-putting.

57 - no surprise there

61 for me--thought I'd do a bit better, as I tend to be very sensitive to others' emotions!