Emotional Intelligence Predicts Accuracy of Perceived Emotional Intent in Email Communication

Abstract

The present study examined individual differences in accurately detecting emotion and intention in email messages. As people rely increasingly on indirect communication through electronics, errors in interpreting meaning in messages become more consequential. Participants (N=211) were invited to complete an online survey. This study used a 2x2 (tone of email: Polite/curt; gender of writer: Male/female) design to test a number of participant responses to an email exchange. Participants read one of two brief email interchanges between a professor and student, then responded to questions about dispositional or situational influences of intent. Two-way MANOVA revealed a predicted main effect of email tone; curt emails were viewed more negatively than polite ones, but no gender main effect or interaction emerged. Emotional intelligence, but not participants’ mood when responding to the email scenario, or other measured personality characteristics, correlated with accurate interpretation of email emotion and attribution of intent. Implications are discussed.