Can We Teach Emotional Intelligence

22 Pages Posted: 24 Aug 2011

See all articles by Ernesto Reuben

Ernesto Reuben

New York University (NYU) - New York University, Abu Dhabi; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Paola Sapienza

Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management - Department of Finance; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Luigi Zingales

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

Date Written: October 1, 2009

Abstract

We conduct a field experiment to test whether (and how) emotional intelligence can be taught effectively in a short course. We randomly assign MBA students to an emotional intelligence course, a resiliency course, and a “placebo” course. We compare their emotional intelligences, as measured by the MSCEIT, before and after the sixteen-hour course. We find that students in the emotional intelligence course increase their MSCEIT score by 5 standard score points, students in the resiliency course by 4 standard score points, while students in the placebo course show no change. Furthermore, in the emotional intelligence course this improvement is positively related to class attendance. Students who never missed class increase their MSCEIT score by 10 standard score points.

Keywords: emotional intelligence, MSCEIT, resiliency

Suggested Citation

Reuben, Ernesto and Sapienza, Paola and Zingales, Luigi, Can We Teach Emotional Intelligence (October 1, 2009). Columbia Business School Research Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1915471 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1915471

Ernesto Reuben (Contact Author)

New York University (NYU) - New York University, Abu Dhabi ( email )

PO Box 129188
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Paola Sapienza

Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management - Department of Finance ( email )

Evanston, IL 60208
United States
847-491-7436 (Phone)
847-491-5719 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

Luigi Zingales

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business ( email )

5807 S. Woodlawn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
United States
773-702-3196 (Phone)
773-834-2081 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) ( email )

c/o the Royal Academies of Belgium
Rue Ducale 1 Hertogsstraat
1000 Brussels
Belgium

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
720
Abstract Views
3,816
Rank
65,798
PlumX Metrics