Neural correlates of emotional intelligence in adolescent children
Open accessAbstract
The somatic marker hypothesis posits a key role for the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and insula in the ability to utilize emotions to guide decision making and behavior. However, the relationship between activity in these brain regions and emotional intelligence (EQ) during adolescence, a time of particular importance for emotional and social development, has not been studied. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we correlated scores from the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory, Youth Version (EQ-i:YV) with brain activity during perception of fearful faces in 16 healthy children and adolescents. Consistent with the neural efficiency hypothesis, higher EQ correlated negatively with activity in the somatic marker circuitry and other paralimbic regions. Positive correlations were observed between EQ and activity in the cerebellum and visual association cortex. The findings suggest that the construct of self-reported EQ in adolescents is inversely related to the efficiency of neural processing within the somatic marker circuitry during emotional provocation.
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In active conditions during an emotionally provocative task involving the perception of fearful faces, trait EI was negatively related to brain activity in adolescents.
“In active conditions, i.e., during an emotionally provocative task involving the perception of fearful faces, Killgore and Yurgelun-Todd (2007) found that trait EI was negatively related to brain activity in adolescents.”
From Developments in Trait Emotional Intelligence Research (2016) · cites this paper as Killgore and Yurgelun-Todd (2007)
Cites
The somatic marker hypothesis and the possible functions of the prefrontal cortex
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“(Bar-On et al., 2003; Damasio, 1994, 1996).”
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Different contributions of the human amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex to decision-making
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“…of adolescent EQ available, but further research would benefit from the use of alternate measures of the construct of EQ, such as the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (Caruso, Mayer, & Salovey, 2002; Mayer, Salovey, Caruso, & Sitarenios, 2003) or others (Brackett & Mayer, 2003).”
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“Several studies suggest that negative mood states and depressive illness are associated with increased activity within the amygdala (Abercrombie et al., 1998; Anand et al., 2005; Drevets, 1999; Ray et al., 2005).”
BackgroundSocial anxiety predicts amygdala activation in adolescents viewing fearful faces
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Self-citationSlow down, you move too fast: Emotional intelligence remains an "elusive" intelligence.
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Developments in Trait Emotional Intelligence Research
Petrides, K. V., Mikolajczak, M., Mavroveli, S., Sanchez-Ruiz, M.-J., Furnham, A., & Pérez-González, J.-C. (2016) · Emotion Review · doi:10.1177/1754073916650493 · Cited by 564 · see citing works
Spear, L. P. (2011) · Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2011.08.001 · Cited by 292 · see citing works
Emotional intelligence: Sine qua non of leadership or folderol?
Walter, F., Cole, M. S., & Humphrey, R. H. (2011) · Academy of Management Perspectives · doi:10.5465/amp.25.1.45 · Cited by 258 · see citing works
Neural correlates of emotional intelligence in a visual emotional oddball task: An ERP study
Raz, S., Dan, O., & Zysberg, L. (2014) · Brain and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2014.09.003 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
- Authors
- KILLGORE, W. D. S., & YURGELUN-TODD, D. A.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- KILLGORE, W. D. S.
- YURGELUN-TODD, D. A.
- Venue
- Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience
- Published
- 2007-06-01
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 140-151
- ISSN
- 1530-7026 (ISSN-L)
- 1531-135X
- OpenAlex
- W2061133012
- Cited by
- 85
- References
- 11
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 1.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (1 R03 HD41542-01, R03HD041542)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotional Intelligence and Performance
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Keywords
- emotional intelligence, adolescents, somatic marker hypothesis, neural efficiency hypothesis, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, insula, cerebellum, visual association cortex, emotional processing, Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Brain, Brain Mapping, Child, Emotions, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Intelligence, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Oxygen, Personality Inventory, Regression Analysis
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