Examining the incremental validity of self-reported emotional intelligence over positive and negative affectivity and dispositional optimism in predicting psychological adjustment across adulthood

We examined the role of self-reported emotional intelligence over affectivity and dispositional optimism in predicting depressive symptoms and flourishing in young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults. Beyond affectivity and dispositional optimism, the inclusion of emotional intelligence was found to augment the prediction models for both indices of psychological adjustment. For all three age groups (young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults), the ability to understand one's emotions was consistently found to be a unique predictor of less depressive symptoms, whereas the ability to understand others' emotions and the ability to use emotions to motivate oneself were both found to be unique predictors of greater flourishing. Beyond affirming the importance of mood and cognition in adulthood, the present findings highlight the unique importance of emotional intelligence in accounting for psychological adjustment across the adult lifespan.