A Study on Trait Emotional Intelligence and Personality type of Indian Miliary Pilots: A Preliminary study

Introduction

Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to perceive and express emotion, assimilate in thought, understand and reason with emotion and regulate emotion in the self and others [1]. The definition emphasizes on four major areas of skills pertaining to accuracy in (a) perceiving emotions, (b) using emotions to facilitate thought, (c) understanding emotions and (d) managing emotions in a way that enhances personal growth and social relations. It is the ability to identify accurately and understand one’s own emotional reactions and those of others. It also involves the ability to regulate one’s emotions to use them to make good decisions and to act effectively [2]. Over the past 15 years, the Emotional Intelligence (EI) has received considerable attention within scientific research. EI is viewed as a predictor of success in the workplace through its significant association with transformational leadership, ability to foster workgroup cohesiveness, strengthen commitment to the organization and permit self-esteem [3].The application of emotional intelligence in the organization includes the areas like personnel selection, development of employees and teams. The organizations must coach their employees in developing their interpersonal skills and coach them to perform effectively on the job with other employees in the organization [4].

Research suggest that people with high levels of EI experience more career success, feel less job insecurity and lead more effectively [5] are more adaptable to stressful events [6] are more effective in team leadership and team performance [7] are more adaptable to organizational changes [8]. In the mid-1990's, the US Air Force (USAF) was losing half of its aspirants every year. A study [9] was conducted to examine the relationship between EI and occupational performance in the workplace between successful and unsuccessful US Air Force aspirants. This study concluded that there is a moderately high relationship between EI and occupational performance among USAF recruiters. The trainees who scored higher flexibility, optimism, self-regard, happiness and reality testing were two to three times more likely to successfully complete the program [9]. After one year, the USAF increased its ability to predict successful recruiters and reduced financial losses by approximately 92%. Based on those results, the US Government Accountability Office submitted a Congressional Report to the Senate Committee on Armed Services praising the USAF’s use of EI screening and recommended its continued use not only in the USAF but throughout the US Armed Services [10]. In 2007, extensive research was done in USAF to explore the potential application of Bar-on EQI to predict performance in Para Rescue Jumpers (PJ) who has best chance of completing highly specialized military course successfully [11]. The study demonstrated that EI has a significant impact on performance among PJ trainees and is capable of predicting who will successfully complete the course.

Material & Methods

Participants

A group of 60 pilots partic oatec voluntarily in this study from May 10 to Aug 10 at LAM, XAF Bangalore. The demographic characteristics of the group are listed below in Tables 2 and 3 respectively.

Table 2: Average mean values of the demographic characteristics of the group (N=60)

Characteristic	Mean	SD
Age	29.82	6.31
Service in years	8	6.42

Table 3: Sample Distribution of the flying hours (N=60)

Flying Hours	Mean	SD
>500	161.36	116.37
>1000	727.21	145.38
>2000	2928	270.50
>3000	4722.5	543.45

Close

Figure 1:

Four personality dimensions or dichotomies.

Export to PPT

Close

Figure 2:

Illustrates the Sample distribution of the types of aircraft flown (N=60)

Export to PPT

Close

Figure 3:

Illustrates the Sample distribution of the officer ranks (N=60)

Export to PPT

Results

The descriptive statistics of the group on Trait EI and personality variables are depicted in the following tables 4 and 5.

The descriptive data in the above table shows that aviators in group have above average Trait EI, the number of respondents scoring above average in Trait EI were 76.6% and respondents scoring average trait EI were 23.3%. On personality type, under four dichotomies: Extraversion and Introversion, Sensing and Intuition, Thinking and Feeling as well as Judging and Perceiving. The data shows that 71.6% of the group has predominated in extraversion preferences over introversion, 68.3% of the group has predominated in sensing preferences over intuition, 78.3% of the group has predominated in thinking preferences over feeling and 78.3% of the group has predominated judging preference over perceiving respectively.

We used MANOVA to examine associations between the factors of Trait EI and Personality types. The dependent variables are the four factors of Trait EI and the independent variables are the four separate bipolar dimensions of personality types. The above table shows the main effects of the independent variables and the interactions. The main effects of Trait EI factors were observed on the personality types, it was observed that Well-being and Self-Control has a main effect on the first bipolar dimension comprising two mutually exclusive preferences Extraversion (E) and Introversion (I). Where as Emotionality has an main effect on the second bipolar dimension comprising of Sensing (S) and Intuition (I), further in third bipolar dimension Thinking (T) and Feeling (F), the main effect is observed by Self-Control and Sociability. In the last and fourth bipolar dimension comprising of Judgment (J) and Perceiving (P), the main effect is observed by Self-Control.

There were significant two way, three way and four way interactions were observed on bipolar dimensions of the personality types and Trait EI factors. The two way interaction of trait EI factor comprising of emotionality and sociability were observed on the second bipolar dimension comprising of Sensing (S) and Intuition (I), which indicates that emotionality and sociability of the individual contributes towards how we prefer to perceive or take in information. The four way interaction of all Trait EI factors were observed in third bipolar dimension comprising of Thinking (T) and Feeling (F) indicating that the well-being, self-control, emotionality and sociability have significant influence in the decision making process of the individual and the three way interaction of Trait EI factors including, emotionality and sociability on fourth bipolar dimension comprising of Perceiving (P) and Judgment (J) indicates that self-control, emotionality and sociability are affecting the perception towards approach to life.

The above the 3D scatter plot shows the two way interaction of trait EI factors emotionality and sociability on Intuition (I) and Sensing (S), the four way interaction of all Trait EI factors on Thinking (T) and Feeling (F), it is evident from the above graph that three factor interaction also observed between the Trait EI factors including self-control, emotionality and sociability on Perceiving (P) and Judgement (J).

Discussion

This study investigates the relationship between Trait EI and Personality type. The objectives of the study are twofold (a) to assess the level of trait emotional intelligence and personality type among trained Indian Military Pilots; (b) To determine the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and personality type.

The descriptive scores on the factors of trait EI indicate that pilots have above average well-being which means that they have a positive attitude about themselves and their achievements. They are confident, positive and they feel good about themselves. This is in line with a study at IAM [15] which reported that pilots perceive themselves to be positive and lead fulfilling lives with average psychological well-being. The results also describe that pilots have obtained above average in emotionality factor indicating that they can perceive and express emotions and use abilities to develop and sustain close relationships.

Close

Figure 4:

Depicting the scatter 3D plot of bipolar dimensions of personality type and its interaction on Trait El factors.

Export to PPT

Overall in the present sample, it appears that the preferences of the aviators on each of the four MBTI dichotomies, Extraversion (E) preferences were found to be predominant over Introversion (I), Sensing (S) preferences predominated over Intuition (I), Thinking (T) preferences predominated over Feeling (F) and Perceiving (P) characteristics predominated over Judging (J) characteristics. The results may indicate that aviators in group who have predominance in extraversion would like to focus on the outer world people and activity. They are sociable, expressive and they are ready to take initiative in work and relationships. Pilots who have predominance in sensing are observant, who focus on information that is real and actual. They prefer to understand the ideas and theories through practical application. Predominance in thinking indicates that group prefer to use cause and affect reasoning while solving a problem. They prefer to use their decision making ability to look at the logical consequence of a choice or action. Finally, me predominance in judging shows that they prefer to be structured, organized and methodological. They make short-term and long-term plans to organize their lives and prefer to have things settled by sticking to a plan and schedule. This is in accordance with the findings of the previous study [9] on personality preferences.

At the outset, a Full Model is chosen with all interaction variables (both three and four level interactions) is chosen. The partial effects are checked in ANOVA of this model. The four level interactions are found to be insignificant in Extraversion, Introversion, Sensing, Intuition, Judging and Perceiving. Hence they are dropped. There is a significant two way and three way interactions were observed between Trait EI and personality type. The results show that all the factors of Trait EI have a predictive effect on personality types.

The result that all the factors of Trait EI have a predictive effect on extraversion and introversion personality type concurs with the findings of the previous researchers [15]. This could be interpreted that pilots may have a wide range of emotion related skills, outgoing and sociable. Further it is observed that that Well-being and Self-Control has a main effect on the first bipolar dimension comprising two mutually exclusive preferences Extraversion (E) and Introversion (I), indicating that Well-being and Self-Control has an significant influence on the outer world people and activity. The aviators in group are sociable, expressive and they are ready to take initiative in work and relationships, which is line with the study conducted by Maria Vakola et al [8] on how emotional intelligence and the “Big Five” dimensions of personality can facilitate organisational change, which could be interpreted as employee, who is an extrovert, open to new experiences, agreeable and conscientious employee is “positive to organizational change”

The significant association between the self-control and thinking and Emotionality and judging indicates that aviators are good at regulating external pressure and stress, which is in accordance to the study done by MoriaM ikolajczak [16]. This could be interpreted that they have a healthy degree of control over stressful situations and they prefer to use cause and affect reasoning while dealing with a critical situation. The significant association between the Self-Control and extraversion as well as Sociability and thinking bring into light that subjects believe that they have good listening skills and communicate clearly and confidently with people, which is in accordance with the study on “personality profile of a highly rated IAF pilot” showed that pilots have above average in abstract thinking and high in stress tolerance, resilient, decisive, practical, sober and dependable [14], They may prefer to make decision by looking at the logical consequence of action. This is also in line with the personality studies [17] done on pilots using MMP which found pilots to be relatively high in sociability and are generally unanxious.

It is observed that among the group of aviators, decision making process (thinking and feeling) is affected by the four factors of Wait EI, this is in line with the study carried out by Picano [18]. This could be interpreted that aviators were outgoing and emphasized planning, logical analysis, and attention to detail. Further to find the association between demographic variables and trait EI correlations were drawn. It is found that there is no significant correlation observed between the age, service in years, rank, flying hours and type of aircraft flown with four Trait EI Factors.

The outcomes of this study may not be considered definitive because of the small sample size. Therefore a full length research may be undertaken with a bigger sample size constituting of two groups between aviators and non-aviators or successfully recruited aviators and dropouts. The importance of EI is an important contributing aspect to understand the positive workplace performance.

Conclusion

The emerging field of study on emotional intelligence has high importance in occupational performance. Trait Emotional intelligence has been found to be a predictor of personality type. EI can be learned, developed and improved. People with higher emotional intelligence skills are more able to nurture positive relationships, work effectively in teams and build social capital, which if found significant in this present study. This preliminary study aimed at identifying the level of Trait EI and personality type among trained Indian Military Pilots and to examine the association between Trait EI and Personality type. The assessment of Trait EI can be made an integral part of selection and screening process of candidates who are aspiring carrier in IAF. This will help IAF to recognise the potential aviators at the entry level and adopt suitable training programs on EI to improve occupational performance.