The present study explored sex and cultural differences in Emotional Intelligence scores in samples from Norway (n = 297) and the United States (n = 234). Significant main effects for sex were found in overall Emotional Intelligence scores and the Empathy factor. In addition, results revealed a small but significant effect for culture in the Self-control factor, as well as support for an interaction between sex and culture in the Handling Relationships factor. The results are discussed in light of cultural differences between U.S. and Norwegian societies.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BondM. H.LeungK.AuA.TongK-K.CarrasquelS. R.MurakamiF. (2002) Culture level dimensions of social axioms and their correlates across 41 cultures. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 35, 548–570.
2.
BrackettM.MayerJ. D., & WarnerR. M. (2004) Emotional intelligence and the prediction of behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 36, 1387–1402.
3.
HofstedeG. (1980) Culture's consequences: international differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
4.
JaušovecN., & JaušovecK. (2010) Emotional intelligence and gender: a neurophysiological perspective. In GruszkaA.MathewsG., & SzymuraB. (Eds.), Handbook of individual differences in cognition: attention, memory, and executive control. Vol. 2. New York: Springer. Pp. 109–126.
5.
JosephD. L., & NewmanD. A. (2010) Emotional intelligence: an integrative meta-analysis and cascading model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95, 54–78.
6.
KitayamaS., & MarkusH. R. (1994) Emotion and culture: empirical studies of mutual influence. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
7.
KundaA. (1990) The case for motivated reasoning. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 480–498.
8.
LeungK.BondM. H.CarrasquelS. R.MuñozC.HernándezM.MurakamiF.YamaguchiS.BierbrauerS., & SingelisT. M. (2002) Social axioms: the search for universal dimensions of general beliefs about how the world functions. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 33, 286–302.
9.
MandellB., & PherwaniS. (2003) Relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership style: a gender comparison. Journal of Business and Psychology, 17, 387–404.
10.
MayerJ. D.CarusoD. R., & SaloveyP. (2000) Emotional intelligence meets traditional standards for intelligence. Intelligence, 27, 267–298.
11.
MayerJ. D., & GeherG. (1996) Emotional intelligence and the identification of emotion. Intelligence, 22, 89–113.
12.
MesquitaB., & WalkerR. (2003) Cultural differences in emotions: a context for interpreting emotional experiences. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 41, 777–793.
13.
NisbettR. E., & CohenD. (1996) Culture of honor: the psychology of violence in the South. Boulder, CO: Westview.
14.
SaloveyP., & MayerJ. D. (1990) Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 9, 185–211.
15.
SandalG. M., & EndresenI. M. (2002) The sensitivity of the CPI Good Impression Scale for detecting “faking good” among Norwegian students and job applicants. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 10, 304–311.
16.
SilveraD. H., & SegerC. R. (2004) Feeling good about ourselves: unrealistic self-evaluations and their relation to self-esteem in the United States and Norway. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 35, 571–585.
TapiaM., & MarshG. E.II. (2006a) A validation of the Emotional Intelligence Inventory. Psicothema, 18, 55–58.
19.
TapiaM., & MarshG. E.II. (2006b) The effects of sex and grade-point average on emotional intelligence. Psicothema, 18, 108–111.
20.
Van RooyD. L.AlonsoA., & ViswesvaranC. (2005) Group differences in emotional intelligence scores: theoretical and practical implications. Personality and Individual Differences, 38, 689–700.