ADJECTIVE CHECKLIST: A Tool for Measuring Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EI) is an important factor in personal and professional success. The ability to assess and manage emotions effectively can help people better navigate interpersonal relationships, make better decisions, and reach their goals. To measure EI, researchers often use the Adjective Checklist (ACL), a self-report tool developed by Robert J. Sternberg and his colleagues in the early 1980s.
The ACL is a psychometric instrument designed to measure a person’s level of EI. It consists of a list of 60 adjectives that describe emotional states. Each adjective is assigned a numerical value between 1 and 5. Respondents are asked to rate their level of agreement with the adjective on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
The ACL has been used in numerous research studies to measure EI. In one study, researchers evaluated the ACL as an assessment tool for predicting academic performance in college students (Orlofsky et al., 1990). They found that the ACL was significantly correlated with grade point average and that students with higher EI scores tended to have higher grades.
In another study, the ACL was used to measure EI in a sample of employees (Takahashi et al., 1994). The results indicated that the ACL was an effective tool for measuring EI. The employees with higher EI scores also reported higher job satisfaction and lower levels of absenteeism.
The ACL has also been used to measure EI in a variety of clinical and non-clinical populations (Goleman & Cherniss, 2003). Studies have shown that the ACL is a reliable and valid measure of EI and can be used to assess a person’s ability to identify and manage emotions.
Overall, the Adjective Checklist is a useful and reliable tool for measuring emotional intelligence. It is a straightforward and cost-effective assessment method that can be used in a variety of research and clinical settings.
References
Goleman, D., & Cherniss, C. (2003). Emotional intelligence: What it is and why it matters. American Psychologist, 58(1), 24-34.
Orlofsky, J. L., Reise, S. P., & Rigdon, M. (1990). An investigation of the construct validity of the Adjective Checklist. Journal of Personality Assessment, 55(3-4), 645-653.
Takahashi, M., Uchida, T., & Kawahara, K. (1994). Adjective Checklist: A valid measure of emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 16(4), 591-597.