The Italian version of the Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale(WLEIS-I): A second-order factor analysis

The Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) is a 16-item self-report measure of emotional intelli-gence, based on the revised model by Mayer and Salovey. The scale measures four dimensions: Self-EmotionalAppraisal, Others' Emotion Appraisal, Use Of Emotion, Regulation Of Emotions, loading onto a higher-order emo-tional intelligence factor. The WLEIS has been translated and validated in several cultural contexts, but to datethere is no Italian translation, and no studies investigated its factor structure in the Italian community. Thisstudy aimed at translating the WLEIS in Italian, analysing its psychometric properties in Italian adults from thecommunity, and testing thefit between the data and the original model by Wong and Law. We also tested cor-relations between WLEIS and measures of the Big Five personality factors and attachment. We found that thescale was internally consistent, and the second-order factor solutionfit the data well. We also found significantpositive correlations with agreeableness, extraversion, and perception of the self and the others, and negativecorrelation with neuroticism. These results represent a preliminary attempt to study the application of theWLEIS in Italian community settings, with implications for assessment and intervention to enhance the subjec-tive and psychological well-being of individuals.