self-acceptance, mastery and purpose and meaning
in life.
Enter a new study conducted by Ana Dimitrijevic
and colleagues, in which they attempted to assess
the relationship between multiple indicators of intelli-
gence and multiple indicators of well-being. They
relied on the following definition of intelligence: “the
ability to understand complex ideas, to adapt effec-
tively to the environment, to learn from experience,
to engage in various forms of reasoning, and to
overcome obstacles by taking thought.” This defini-
tion covers several more specific notions of intelli-
gence, such as emotional intelligence.
The researchers administered a battery of intelli-
gence and well-being measures to 288 adults em-
ployed within various departments of a large dairy
production company in Belgrade. What did they find?
Intelligence and Well-Being
The researchers found that both IQ and emotional
intelligence were independently correlated with
well-being.* IQ was positively correlated with personal
relationships, self-acceptance, personal growth, mas-
tery and purpose in life.† Emotional intelligence was
correlated with the same well-being measures, but
was additionally related to a sense of autonomy in life.
Zooming in on the IQ test, the most predictive sub-
scale for well-being was a measure of non-verbal fluid
reasoning, which requires pattern detection and ab-
stract reasoning (constructing generalizable principles
from minimal information). Some people argue that
this form of reasoning is strongly related to general
intelligence.
Once socioeconomic status (SES) was taken into
account (reflecting higher education and income),
however, there was no relationship between IQ and
well-being. According to the researchers, this suggests
that IQ leads “to greater contentment with oneself and
life primarily by enabling one to acquire the social sta-
tus and financial means which ensure better opportu-
nities and quality of life.” Of course, this does not mean
that IQ is simply a measure of SES; IQ was positively
correlated with well-being. However, it does suggest
that the extent to which IQ is related to happiness de-
pends to a large extent on the opportunities (e.g., fi-
nancial, educational) you have to utilize your IQ.
What about emotional intelligence? The emotional
intelligence tests that were most predictive of well-be-
ing were the two higher, more “strategic” branches—
understanding and managing emotions. The person
who scores higher in these facets of emotional intelli-
gence are better able to comprehend the emotional
signals coming from others, and to regulate and man-
age their own and others’ emotions so as to further
their own and others’ personal and social goals.Emotional intelligence had a direct effect on
well-being, and this association remained strong even
after controlling for SES. What’s more, of the two
measures of intelligence—IQ and emotional intelli-
gence—emotional intelligence was the strongest pre-
dictor of well-being, outweighing not only IQ, but also
a person’s SES and age. This finding suggests that
emotional intelligence—particularly the capacity to
manage one’s emotions toward optimal personal goal
attainment—is a form of intelligence that can help
people live a more fulfilled life regardless of their eco-
nomic circumstances.Why Is Intelligence Associated
with Well-Being?
I think intelligence matters for a fulfilling life for a
number of reasons. For one, a higher IQ is a gateway
to better education. Those with higher IQ scores are
much more likely to score well on standardized tests of
achievement, and academic performance is often the
first hurdle necessary to continue up the ladder of oc-
cupational opportunities.
Also relevant here is the association between IQ
and openness to experience. Those with a higher IQ
tend to score higher in a number of facets of open-
ness to experience, including intellectual engagement,
intellectual creativity, introspection, ingenuity, intellectu-
al depth and imagination. This tendency for deeper
cognitive processing is critical for dealing with a lot of
life’s up and downs. While trauma is inevitable in life,
research shows that we can grow from our traumas if
we have a healthy form of rumination in which we re-
flect on the deeper meaning of the event and can use
that cognitive processing to perceive greater opportu-
nities for ourselves and others.
Regarding emotional intelligence, since having a
fulfilling life often requires accomplishing the goals LIFE OF RILEY WIKIMEDIA (CC BY-SA 3.0)