Emotional intelligence, mood states and successful and unsuccessful performance
Andrew M. Lane 1 Istvan Soos 2, Eva Leibinger 3, Istvan Karsai 4, and Pal Hamar 3
University of Wolverhampton, UK1, University of Sunderland, UK2, Semmeilweis University,
Budapest 3, University of Pecs, Hungary 4
Research in general psychology has highlighted the utility of emotional intelligence (Zeidner et
al., 2004; Applied Psychology: An International Review, 53, 371–399). Defined as 'the ability to
monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotion, to discriminate among them and to use this
information to guide one's thinking and actions' (Salovey & Mayer, 1990, p. 189), emotional
intelligence is associated with psychological states associated with successful performance.
Recent research in sport has offered support for the utility of emotional intelligence (Zizzi et al.,
2003; Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 15, 262-26).
Participants were 260 volunteer student athletes (Age: M = 21.02, SD = 2.46; Males n =
131, Females n = 128) from two Hungarian, one Italian and British university. They completed
a 33-item measure of emotional intelligence (Schutte et al., 1998; Personality and Individual
Differences, 25, 167-177), the Brunel Mood Scale (Terry et al., 2003, Psychology of Sport and
Exercise, 4, 125-139) and the calmness and happiness subscales from the UWIST (Matthews et
al., 1991, British Journal of Psychology, 81, 17-42). Measures were translated from English into
Hungarian and Italian and two experts checked the resultant measures for accuracy and
comprehensibility. Informed consent forms were signed before participation in the study.
Participants completed mood measures retrospectively to identify to how they felt before their
best and worst performances in sport.
After classifying emotional intelligence data into a high and low group based on a median split,
repeated measures MANOVA (mood by condition x emotional intelligence groups) indicated a
significant interaction effect (Mood x Emotional intelligence: Pillai 8,250 = 0.10 p < 0.01), and
significant main effects for condition (Pillai 8,250 = 0.68, p < 0.01) and emotional intelligence
(Pillai 8,250 = 0.09, p < 0.01).
Univariate interaction effects indicated that the differences between successful and unsuccessful
depression scores were significantly greater among individuals low in emotional intelligence (F
1,257 =
4.46, p < .05). High emotional intelligence was associated with significantly higher vigour
scores and successful performance (F 1,257 = 5.65, p < .05). Large univariate effects for each
mood scale indicated that successful performance was associated with lower scores for anger F
1,257 = 131.71,
p < .01; confusion F 1,257 = 161.34, p < .01; depression F 1,257 = 256.61, p < .01;
fatigue F 1,257 = 137.24, p < .01; and tension F 1,257 = 37.24, p < .01. Successful performance was
associated with higher calmness F 1,257 = 94.90, p < .01; happiness F 1,257 = 343.60, p < .01; and
vigour F 1,257 = 426.48, p < .01) scores. Emotional intelligence scores were associated with low
depression (F 1,257 = 4.66, p < .05) and high calmness (F 1,257 = 8.23, p < .01).
Findings lend support to proposed influence of emotional intelligence on performance (Zizzi et
al., 2003; Zeidner et al., 2004). They also show support for the mood-performance relationships
(Beedie et al., 2000; Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 12, 49-68). Previous research has
suggested that depressed mood is the most important mood state (Lane & Terry, 2000, Journal
of Applied Sport Psychology, 12, 16-33). Emotional intelligence appears to be linked with
reducing the tendency to experience depressed mood. It is suggested that applied sport
psychology practitioners should seek to enhance emotional intelligence. Future research should
focus on the relationship between psychological skills training, emotional intelligence and mood
states before competition.
Mood
Best competition
Worst competition
Emotional intelligence groups
High
Low
High
Low EI
EI
M
SD
M
SD M
SD M
Anger
0.45
Calmness 1.64
0.61
0.79
0.47
1.41
0.64 1.31
0.89 1.15
1.23 1.33
0.79 0.87
Confusion 0.65
Depressio
n
0.22
0.59
0.71
0.67 1.36
1.03 1.54
0.43
0.18
0.35 1.50
1.31 1.18
Fatigue
0.49
0.57
0.51
0.70 1.36
1.15 1.24
Happiness 2.32
Tension 1.26
0.80
0.77
2.40
1.37
0.80 1.30
0.82 1.63
0.85 1.05
1.07 1.76
Vigour
0.69
3.16
0.63 1.83
0.98 1.68
3.00
Sport
SD F
133.5
1.16 8
0.79 96.50
163.4
1.01 8
257.4
0.98 5
139.1
0.98 9
346.3
0.89 7
1.10 38.18
430.5
0.96 7
Emotional
intelligence
Sport x Emotional
intelligence
Eta2 F
Eta2
F
Eta2
0.34 0.04
0.27 8.48
0.00
0.03
0.00
0.22
0.00
0.00
0.39 1.89
0.01
0.90
0.00
0.50 5.14
0.02
3.80
0.01
0.35 0.32
0.00
1.11
0.00
0.57 1.04
0.13 1.46
0.00
0.01
7.03
0.04
0.03
0.00
0.63 0.01
0.00
5.96
0.02
Performance * Emotional intelligence: Pillai's Trace 8,251 = .10, p < .001, Eta2 = 0.10
Performance: Pillai's Trace 8,251 = .670, p < .001, Eta2 = 0.67