Validity and reliability of a brief emotional intelligence scale: The BEIS-10

This study describes the development and validation of a brief self-report measure of emotional intelligence based on Salovey and Mayer’s (1990) conceptualization. In stage one, the 33-item Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS: Schutte et al., 1998) was assessed for content validity by a panel of experts. The panel deemed 17 items unsuitable for further analysis. In stage two, a theoretically derived 5-factor solution and a unidimensional model were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in a student-athlete sample (n = 955). Results supported the multidimensional solution. The Brief Emotional Intelligence Scale (BEIS-10) was developed by extracting the two items from each factor with the most salient factor loadings. CFA results yielded good fit indices for the 10-item, 5-factor solution. Finally, stage three provided evidence of test-retest stability for the BEIS-10 over a 2-week period in a sample of 111 student athletes. The BEIS-10 is offered as a valid and reliable measurement tool that has particular utility in situations where brevity is important.