Emotional Intelligence has emerged as a crucial component of cognitive and social functioning, influencing various life outcomes. The present article examines the 2025 study, Ability emotional intelligence profiles and real-life outcomes: a latent profile analysis of a large adult sample, by Haag, Bellinghausen, and Poirier, which investigates Ability Emotional Intelligence using a person-centred approach. Published in Frontiers in Psychology, this study employs Latent Profile Analysis to identify three distinct emotional intelligence profiles—Full Emotional Processing, Partial Emotional Processing, and Minimal Emotional Processing—and explores their association with real-life outcomes such as mental health, wellbeing, and decision-making.
The research explores how these profiles correlate with real-life outcomes such as mental health, wellbeing, decision-making, stress perception, and work-life balance. The findings provide strong evidence for the need for tailored emotional intelligence training, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach. Additionally, the study highlights potential cognitive influences, including the role of mental imagery (Aphantasia to Hyperphantasia) in emotional processing.
Understanding Ability Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence, originally defined by Mayer and Salovey (1997), refers to an individual’s ability to perceive, understand, and regulate emotions. Over time, two distinct models of Emotional Intelligence have emerged: the Trait Emotional Intelligence model, which views it as a personality trait, and the Ability Emotional Intelligence model, which aligns more closely with traditional intelligence frameworks and is assessed through performance-based tests.
The study by Haag et al. utilises the QEg model, a comprehensive framework assessing Ability Emotional Intelligence through seven dimensions:
Scanning Physiological Manifestations: Recognising one’s own emotions through physical sensations.
Interpreting Emotional Cues: Identifying emotions based on cognitive, behavioural, and facial indicators.
Identifying Emotional Triggers: Understanding the specific causes of emotions.
Understanding Emotional Timelines: Evaluating the intensity and progression of emotions over time.
Anticipating Emotional Outcomes: Predicting the positive or negative effects of emotions.
Selecting the Target Emotional State: Choosing the most appropriate emotional response for a given situation.
Emotion Regulation: Applying strategies to manage and maintain emotional states effectively.
Methodology
The study employs Latent Profile Analysis on a sample of 2,877 French adults, identifying three distinct Ability Emotional Intelligence (AEI) profiles:
Minimal Emotional Processing (MEP): Deficiencies in all emotional intelligence components.
Partial Emotional Processing (PEP): Moderate ability in emotional identification and regulation.
Full Emotional Processing (FEP): High competency across all emotional dimensions.
To explore the impact of these profiles on real-life outcomes, the study incorporated various self-report scales measuring stress perception, work-home interaction, gratitude, life satisfaction, burnout prevention, and decision-making.
Findings and Implications
The results indicate that individuals with Full Emotional Processing exhibit significantly better mental and physical health outcomes. Specifically:
Lower Perceived Stress: Individuals reported reduced stress levels, which correlate with enhanced psychological resilience (Shahin, 2020).
Better Work-Home Balance: Participants experienced fewer negative interactions between professional and personal life, a key factor in mitigating fatigue and psychological distress (Geurts et al., 2003).
Higher Gratitude and Life Satisfaction: The study reaffirms that gratitude enhances coping mechanisms and interpersonal relationships (Cunha et al., 2019).
Burnout Prevention: Individuals scored lower on emotional exhaustion, a central component of burnout (Lee & Ashforth, 1996).
Future-Oriented Decision-Making: Those with Full Emotional Processing demonstrated greater consideration of long-term consequences in their decision-making processes.
Implications for Training
The study underscores the necessity of tailored training programmes based on individual profiles:
Individuals with Full Emotional Processing: May benefit from advanced training in emotion regulation within complex situations.
Individuals with Minimal Emotional Processing: Require foundational skill-building in emotional literacy, recognition, and basic regulation strategies.
Individuals with Partial Emotional Processing: Would benefit from targeted interventions addressing their specific areas of weakness while reinforcing their existing strengths.
Alignment with Personal Insights on Imagery
This approach aligns with my own identification of the need for refined language in Locating Unifying Language: Multiple Intelligences, Mental Sensory Perception, and Mental Imagery (2025). Emotional processing varies significantly among individuals, and a crucial aspect of this variation is the distinction between different levels of imagery for this ability.
I have previously suggested the four-tier classification system based on Adam Zeman's work (2015) and distinctions in mental imagery related to emotional processing and memory, including:
Emotional Aphantasia: Little to no ability to generate mental imagery.
Emotional Hypophantasia: Limited but present mental imagery.
Emotional Phantasia: A middle ground with flexible, imagery abilities.
Emotional Hyperphantasia: Exceptionally vivid and detailed mental imagery.
Understanding these distinctions in mental experiences provides deeper insight into how individuals process emotions and how training can be tailored to accommodate these cognitive variations. People with Emotional Aphantasia that also have Global Aphantasia (lack mental sight, sound, taste, touch and smell), may require alternative methods for emotional recognition and regulation, such as verbal descriptions or conceptual frameworks, while those that have Emotional Aphantasia and Visual Hyperphantasia may benefit from imagery-based emotion regulation techniques. Similarily, I suspect my own hyperphantic emotional imagery—particularly in emotional processing and memory—plays a role in PTSD responses, despite having global aphantasia. A better understanding of this type of memory and cognition could lead to improved treatment approaches tailored to these unique mental experiences.
Recognising these distinctions can help refine training interventions, ensuring that emotional intelligence development is truly personalised and effective across different cognitive styles.
Limitations and Future Research
Despite its valuable contributions, the study acknowledges several limitations:
Participant Recruitment Bias: The sample, drawn from science and health-focused media platforms, may not be fully representative of the general population.
Self-Report Limitations: The reliance on self-reported measures introduces potential biases such as social desirability.
Psychiatric and Neurological Factors: The study does not control for pre-existing mental health conditions that could influence emotional processing.
Future research should incorporate more diverse sampling methods, multi-method approaches, and qualitative assessments to enhance the robustness of findings.
Summary
This study advances our understanding of emotional intelligence by identifying distinct emotional processing profiles and their impact on key life outcomes. The findings highlight the need for individualised training to optimise personal and professional development. As research in emotional intelligence progresses, further exploration of contextual and cognitive factors will be crucial in refining interventions for real-world applications.
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