Validation of the trait emotional intelligence questionnaire – Adolescent short form (TEIQue-ASF) among adolescents in Vietnam

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes an individual has about their own and other people’s emotions. EI is considered as a protector against mental illness and potentially increase mental health. Petrides’ Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) is validated among adults globally. However, there is little data yet about its use among Asian countries. This study aims to translate and culturally verify the Trait Emotional Intelligence Adolescent Short Form (TEIQue-ASF) and investigate content validity, construct validity, and reliability targeting answering the research question that whether TEIQue-ASF can be used to measure EI among Vietnamese high school adolescents. Content of the TEIQue-ASF was translated (English to Vietnamese) and back-translated (Vietnamese to English) in consultation with bilingual and bicultural health researchers and pilot tested among 51 potential respondents. Phraseology and wording were then adjusted, and the final version is named the VN-TEIQue-ASF. The VN-TEIQue-ASF’s properties were investigated in a cross-sectional self-report survey among high school students in Central Vietnam. In total, 1,593/1,686 (94.5%) eligible students (age range 15 to 18) from nine high schools in rural, urban, and coastline areas completed the survey. Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) with Oblimin rotation yielded a four-factor solution with all factor loadings above .30. Some facets loaded differently compared to the original version. The differences in cultural values between Vietnam and Western countries might lead to this partial duplication. The Cronbach’s alpha of the global score for the TEIQue- ASF-VN was .77. The TEIQue-ASF-VN is comprehensible and has good content and construct validity and reliability among adolescents in Vietnam. This study contributes to the broader understanding of applicability and reliability of EI measures across diverse cultural settings. It recommends the use of TEIQue-ASF Vietnamese version in school and professional study in education, psychology, and public health to investigate trait EI in Vietnam.<p></p>