MAYER-SALOVEY-CARUSO EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TEST

Version 2.0

Managing Emotions Branch (B4)

 INSTRUCTIONS: Please select an answer for every action.

1. Mara woke up feeling pretty well. She had slept well, felt well rested, and had
no particular cares or concerns. How well would each action help her preserve
her mood?

Action 1: She got up and enjoyed the rest of the day.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 2: Mara enjoyed the feeling, and decided to think about and
appreciate all the things that were going well for her.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 3: She decided it was best to ignore the feeling since it wouldn't
last anyway.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 4: She used the positive feeling to call her mother, who had been
depressed, and tried to cheer her up.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5
 INSTRUCTIONS: Please select an answer for every action.

2. Andrew works as hard, if not harder, than one of his colleagues. In

fact, his ideas are usually better at getting positive results for the company. His
colleague does a mediocre job but engages in office politics so as to get ahead.
So, when Andrew's boss announces that the annual merit award is being given
to this colleague, Andrew is very angry. How effective would each action be in
helping Andrew feel better?

Action 1: Andrew sat down and thought about all of the good things in his
life and his work.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 2 Andrew made a list of the positive and negative traits of his
colleague.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 3: Andrew felt terrible that he felt that way, and he told himself that
it wasn't right to be so upset over an event not under his control.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 4: Andrew decided to tell people just what a poor job his colleague
had done, and that he did not deserve the merit award. Andrew gathered
memos and notes to prove his point, so it wasn't just his word.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5
 INSTRUCTIONS: Please select an answer for every action.

3. Jane did not know when her bills were due, how many more bills would be
arriving soon, or if she could pay them. Then her car began making strange
noises and her mechanic said it would cost so much to fix that it might not be
worth it. Jane can't fall asleep easily, she wakes up several times at night, and
she finds herself worrying all the time. How effective would each of the following
actions be in reducing her worry?

Action 1: Jane tried to work out what she owed, how much was due, and
when it was due.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 2: Jane learned deep-relaxation techniques to calm herself down.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 3: Jane got the name of a financial planner to help her figure out
how to manage her finances properly.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 4: She decided to look for a job that paid more money.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5
 INSTRUCTIONS: Please select an answer for every action.

4. Nothing seems to be going right for Ed. There just isn't much in Ed's life that
he enjoys or that brings him much pleasure. Over the next year, how effective
would each of the following actions be at making Ed feel better?

Action 1: Ed started to call friends he hadn't spoken to in awhile and made

plans to see a few people.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 2: He started to eat better, to get to bed earlier, and to exercise

more.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 3: Ed felt that he was bringing people down and decided to stay by
himself more until he could work out what was bothering him. He felt he
needed time alone.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 4: Ed found that relaxing in front of the TV at night, with a beer or

two, really helped him to feel better.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5
 INSTRUCTIONS: Please select an answer for every action.

5. As Robert drove home from work, a tractor-trailer truck cut him off. He didn't
even have time to honk his horn. Robert quickly swerved to the right to avoid
getting hit. He was furious. How effective would each of the following actions be
dealing with his anger?

Action 1: Robert taught the truck driver a lesson by cutting him off a few
miles down the highway.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 2: Robert just accepted that these things happen and drove home.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 3: He yelled as loud as he could, and cursed and swore at the

trucker.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Action 4: He vowed never to drive on the highway again.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5
 INSTRUCTIONS: Please select an answer for every response.

1. John developed a close friend at work over the last year. Today, that friend
completely surprised him by saying he had taken a job at another company and
would be moving out of the area. He had not mentioned he was looking for other
jobs. How effective would John be in maintaining a good relationship, if he chose
to response in each of the following ways?  

Response 1: John felt good for him and told his friend that he was glad
he got the new job. Over the next few weeks, John
made arrangements to ensure they stayed in touch.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Response 2: John felt sad that his friend was leaving, but he considered
what happened as an indication that the friend did not
much care for him. After all, the friend said nothing
about his job search. Given that his friend was
leaving anyway, John did not mention it, but
instead went looking for other friends at work.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Response 3: John was very angry that his friend hadn't said anything.
John showed his disapproval by deciding to ignore
his friend until the friend said something about
what he had done. John thought that if his friend
didn't say anything, it would confirm John's
opinion that the friend was not worth talking to.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5
 INSTRUCTIONS: Please select an answer for every response.

2. Roy's teacher has just called Roy's parents to say that Roy is doing poorly in
school. The teacher tells Roy's parents that their son isn't paying attention, is
being disruptive, and can't sit still. This particular teacher doesn't do well with
active boys, and Roy's parents wonder what's really going on. Then, the teacher
says that their son will be left back unless he improves. The parents feel very
angry. How helpful to their son is each of these reactions?  

Response 1: The parents told the teacher that this was a big shock to
them since this was the first time they had ever
heard there was a problem. They asked to meet with
the teacher and also requested if the principal
could attend the meeting.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Response 2: The parents told the teacher that if she continued to

threaten to have their son repeat the grade, they
would take it up with the principal. They said "if our
son is left back, we will hold you personally
responsible. You are the teacher and your job is to
teach, not to blame the student."

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Response 3: Roy's parents hung up on the teacher and called the

principal. They complained about the teacher's
threats and asked that their son be moved to a
different classroom.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5
 INSTRUCTIONS: Please select an answer for every response.

3. Everything is going well for Liz. While others have been complaining about
work, Liz has just gotten a promotion and a decent raise. Her children all are very
happy and doing well in school, her marriage is stable and very happy. Liz is
starting to feel very self-important and finds herself tempted to brag about her life
to her friends. How effective would each of the following responses be for
maintaining her relationships?  

Response 1: Since everything is so good, it's okay to feel proud of it.

But Liz also realized that some people see it as
bragging, or may be jealous of her and so she
only talked to close friends about her feelings.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Response 2: Liz started to think of all the things that could possibly go
wrong in the future so she could gain perspective on
her life. She saw that good feelings don't always
last.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5

Response 3: Liz shared her feelings with her husband that night. Then,
she decided that the family should spend time
together on the weekend and get involved in several
family events just to be together.

Very ineffective Neutral Very effective

1 2 3 4 5