Exploratory Analysis of the Differences in Emotional Intelligence of Gifted Minors

Introduction: This study investigated the possible existence of differences in several domains or traits of the general construct of emotional intelligence between highly able children and their normotypically developing peers. Method: A group of children with high abilities and a group of children with average intellectual development completed at two different times an emotional quotient assessment scale EQ-i:YV. BarOn Emotional Intelligence Inventory: youth version. The total sample consisted of 187 Spanish minors, aged between 8 and 17 years. Of these, 118 participants belonged to the high ability group, 38 females and 80 males, with a mean age of 11.2 years. The normotypical development group consisted of 69 participants, of whom 23 were female and 46 were male, with an average age of 11.7 years. Results: On the one hand, it was found that children with high abilities had higher scores than their peers in the Adaptability subscale, and at the same time showed lower scores in Intrapersonal Intelligence and Mood. No differences were found in either Stress Management or Interpersonal Intelligence. Importantly, when the results were analysed from a general perspective without delving into each trait, the polarity of these differences (some being positive and others negative) cancelled out the overall appearance of differences, giving rise to the erroneous consideration of the absence of differences between groups. Discussion or Conclusion: These findings provide great value for breaking myths about high abilities and for guiding educational practice towards the development of useful educational and social programmes for the affective development of the population with high abilities, taking into account emotional strengths and weaknesses.