How does your EQ compare?
You score higher than 50% of test-takers.
Distribution of EQ scores across 731,369 assessments, with a marker at your score and, when a group is selected, an arrow at that group's average.
731,369 Emotional Intelligence Appraisal Self Edition assessments, 2021–2026.
The National Emotions Study
The data behind Chapter 4 of Friction: How Tension, Emotion, and Change Reveal Better Leaders. How working adults feel about emotion at work, and what it means for the people who lead them.
- 59%say EQ will matter more for success at work as AI takes on more tasks
- 35%still see showing emotions at work as a sign of weakness
- 54%say leaders hiding their emotions creates more problems than it solves
1,188 working U.S. adults, surveyed October 2025–January 2026.
The 2026 State of EQ Report
The Human Skills Stack: The Capabilities that Power Performance in an Uncertain, AI-Driven World
TalentSmartEQ Research
What 731,369 EQ assessments from 2021–2026 show. Click a topic to explore the data.
More Research
Reports, articles and studies on emotional intelligence at work.
The Latest Research on Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
Scholarly evidence linking EQ to leadership effectiveness, team performance, engagement and innovation.
Read more →Emotional Intelligence: A Comprehensive Overview
Two decades of emotional intelligence research across leadership, relationships and well-being.
View research →Team Emotional Intelligence: Key Research Findings
How team EQ affects performance, decision-making and relationships, virtual and in person.
View research →The Latest Discoveries on Emotional Intelligence Habits
EQ habits and their impact on individual and organizational outcomes in the future of work.
View research →Three Research-Backed Reasons Your Leaders Need EQ Training
A review of more than 6,300 leaders and how a leader’s EQ affects their direct reports.
View research →EQ for Good or for Evil? The Research Says “Good”
Across 16,000+ people, higher EQ goes with more citizenship behavior, not manipulation.
View research →EQ is Highly Trainable
A review of 76 training studies over 16 years shows emotional intelligence is a highly trainable skill set.
View research →Industry Perspectives
How emotional intelligence shows up in specific fields.
EQ in Sales
The link between high-performing sales professionals and emotional intelligence, and what it does for the bottom line.
Read more →EQ in HR
EQ as the common denominator in hiring, culture and developing high-performing employees.
Read more →EQ in Law Enforcement
How EQ helps officers handle high-stress situations in the field and the difficult emotions that follow.
Read more →EQ in Engineering
Engineering is stereotyped as an unemotional field. Engineers benefit greatly from EQ training.
Read more →EQ in Nursing
Staying calm under extreme stress and managing emotions, in yourself and with others.
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