Causal Model in Emotional Intelligence, Schizotypy and Psychopathology

To assess the relationship of emotional intelligence, schizotypy and psychopathology. In this descriptive-analytical study 150 normal high school students (94 girls and 56 boys) aged 14 to 17 years (15.5 ± 0.67) in the educational year 1387-1388 in Shahr-e-Rey, completed schizotypal trait questionnaire (STA), Modified Schutte (Emotional Intelligence) EI Scale (MSEIS), and three subtests of Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), namely, psychoticism, hostility, and paranoid ideation. Data analysis was done by SPSS 11.5 and LISREL 8.54 using independent t-test U, Mann-Whitney test, and path analysis. Path analysis revealed a causal relationship between EI and psycho-pathology (t=-4.03, p≥0.05); as well as a causal relationship between emotion appraisal and magical thinking (t=-2.25, p≥0.05), paranoid ideation (t=2.03, p≥0.05) and schizotypy (t=-3.39, p≥0.05). An accurate assessment of the relationship between factors revealed that emotion appraisal has a causal effect on schizotypy and psychopathology. Emotion appraisal is the perception and evaluation of the emotional situation in oneself as well as others. In fact, individuals with positive emotion appraisal and evaluation are at lower risk of developing signs of schizotypy and psychopathology.