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Emotional intelligence in older adults: psychometric properties of the TMMS-24 and relationship with psychological well-being and life satisfaction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 May 2017

I. Delhom ,
M. Gutierrez ,
B. Lucas-Molina  and
J. C. Meléndez Open the ORCID record for J. C. Meléndez [Opens in a new window]
I. Delhom
Affiliation:
Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Valencia (Spain), Av. Blasco Ibañez 21, Valencia, ES, 46010, Spain
M. Gutierrez
Affiliation:
Catholic University of Valencia (Spain), Guillem de Castro, 175, Valencia, Spain
B. Lucas-Molina
Affiliation:
Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Valencia (Spain), Av. Blasco Ibañez 21, Valencia, ES, 46010, Spain
J. C. Meléndez*
Affiliation:
Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Valencia (Spain), Av. Blasco Ibañez 21, Valencia, ES, 46010, Spain
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: J. C. Meléndez, Av. Blasco Ibañez 21, Valencia, ES, 46010, Spain. Phone: +34963983844. Email: melendez@uv.es.
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Abstract

Background:

Aging is a process during which important changes occur in different areas of development and emotional intelligence plays an essential role. The objective of this study was twofold: first, to validate the TMMS-24 in an older population; and second, to examine the mediating role of life satisfaction in the relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being.

Methods:

The sample consisted of 215 older adults (60.15% women) with a mean age of 69.56 (SD = 6.42), without cognitive impairment. Data on emotional intelligence, satisfaction with life, and psychological well-being were obtained through the TMMS-24, the SWLS, and Ryff's psychological well-being scales, respectively. Confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling were conducted.

Results:

Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the three-dimensional structure of the TMMS-24. The total scale showed an internal consistency of 0.90, ranging from 0.84 to 0.85 for the subscales. Structural equation modeling indicated that emotional intelligence exerted an influence on psychological well-being both directly and indirectly through life satisfaction.

Conclusions:

These findings show that the TMMS-24 has adequate psychometric properties for assessing emotional intelligence in elderly participants, and they indicate that emotional intelligence influences cognitive and affective judgments of life satisfaction, with these judgments of life satisfaction predicting psychological well-being.

Keywords

emotional intelligencesatisfaction with lifewell-beingolder adults
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 29 , Issue 8 , August 2017 , pp. 1327 - 1334
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2017 

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