Joining the Dark Side: A Validation of the Changing Moods Scale exploring how Emotional Intelligence can be used to worsen, as well as improve, the moods of others.

Abstract

A new scale (The Changing Moods Scale, Austin, unpublished) is validated to add to growing research that sees emotional intelligence as having a dark side rather than purely being of prosocial usage. The scale was found to have four principal factors (Reassurance, Emotional Machiavellianism, Emotional Concealment and Morally-Negative Manipulation). Although positive emotional manipulation was found to correlate positively with emotional intelligence, whilst negative emotional manipulation correlated weakly, this does not damage the case for the dark side of emotional intelligence as positive manipulation may be used for darker purposes. In conjunction with personality, emotional intelligence and social support measures, the Changing Moods Scale was found to suggest that Emotional Machiavellianism is Alexithymic in nature and people who use positive mood manipulation were more likely to perceive social support (those who concealed their emotions felt less supported). Males scored lower on the Reassurance factor and higher on the Emotional Machiavellianism factor than females, but there were no other significant gender differences.