Abstract:

In today’s higher education landscape, emotional intelligence has become a central concern. In this context, appropriate measurement instruments are needed to accurately and effectively assess the different aspects that make up this construct. The objective of this research was to validate the short version of the EQI test (EQI-C) adapted to the Latin American-Ecuadorian context. The instrument was administered to students at the Universidad Nacional de Educación, aged 17 to 47 years. Of the 564 participants, the majority were female (406 women). Factorial analysis, reliability, and correlations among variables were performed. The results showed acceptable levels of internal consistency and validity, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha of .882. Four factors were identified, accounting for 51% of the cumulative variance. It is concluded that the instrument can be implemented with Ecuadorian university students.

Keywords:
factor analysis; higher education; emotional intelligence; psychometrics