Emotional IQ Test

[wsam29 10]

Emotional IQ Test

 

I did this test after reading Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goldman.

 

As we all know by now, trading is more mental than anything else. Give a half decent plan to someone who is right, and they'll do good, give an awesome plan to someone who's not right, well, we all know the answer to that.

 

Like Hubert says, "Its the 6 inches between the ears that matters."

 

I highly recommend doing the test to see if you have what it takes to become a successful trader. To be honest, some people are not cut out for this stuff.

 

When winning, all is good, its those losing periods that define you as a trader.

 

The longer you stick with trading through the rough times, with more time under your belt, the recovery time shortens after loses.

 

Hope this helps.

[wsam29 10]

Here are my results from taking the test and paying for a detailed report.

 

Just to give you guys an idea of how useful this could be, just knowing WHO you are and WHAT you are capable of.

 

Overall results (score 113)

 

 

Ability to recognize and understand emotions, and handle them productively.

 

You had an average score on this assessment, indicating that both your self-report and ability scores were in the mid-range. You appear to generally be able to accurately recognize the emotions of others, manage your own feelings and know how best to approach others in an empathetic manner. Moreover, you accurately perceive your abilities in this area. This is key to improving your abilities even more, as knowing your strengths and problem areas can help you know which areas you need to concentrate on.

 

Self-report Component (score 104)

 

 

Includes self-reported ability to understand your emotions and those of others, ability to motivate yourself, and your level of comfort with becoming close with others.

 

According to your self-report answers, your emotional intelligence is slightly below average. People who score like you do feel that their ability to understand and deal with their own emotions and those of others is just barely acceptable. Emotionally intelligent people have an easy time overcoming difficulties in their lives and they are generally able to control their moods. It’s easy for them to motivate themselves to overcome obstacles and reach their goals. In addition, they find social interactions to be quite easy and fulfilling, for several reasons. They are comfortable allowing themselves to get close with others, and feel comfortable being vulnerable enough to establish intimacy. They also report having an easy time offering support to others; likely due to an empathetic nature and a solid ability to offer advice. Perhaps by working on your problem areas, you can become more confident in dealing with your own emotions and those of others.

 

Ability Component (score 117)

 

 

Refers to how well you identify emotions in others, whether you are able to understand complex emotional situations, and whether you understand how best to deal with emotions.

 

Your scores on the ability component of this test were average. In fact, you scored as well as the average test-taker. People who score as you did appear to have some knowledge in the areas of recognizing, understanding, and managing emotions, but there is certainly room for improvement. This average score is mostly an indication of their ability to handle the emotions of others, although indirectly it also probably means that they sometimes have difficulty managing their own emotions as well. This area can certainly be improved. Making a conscious effort to be more observant of those around you could help.

 

Emotional Insight (score 125)

 

 

Measures aspects of self-esteem, recognition and control of emotions, and ability to console yourself in a crisis.

 

You had quite a high score on Emotional Insight. People with such a score are typically in touch with their own emotions, and are able to recognize and identify their true feelings. They understand their own reactions in most situations. The fact that they are able to pinpoint the reason why something is bothering them gives them a sense of self-control because it helps them determine a course of action to deal with that issue. In fact, they can most often console themselves rather than unleashing a flood of uncensored emotions. Having such insight into their own emotions generally means they have a high self-esteem and are better able to bounce back quite well from life's difficulties.

 

Emotional Expression (score 77)

 

 

Measures comfort with expressing emotions, and your willingness to be emotionally vulnerable with others.

 

You had a low score on Emotional Expression. People with such a score have quite a lot of difficulty handling strong emotions, both in themselves and in others. They generally don't feel comfortable expressing their feelings, and even when they want to communicate, they lack the skills to talk about emotional issues. Individuals who are unable to express emotions are often overwhelmed when faced with emotional situations, like dealing with people who are distraught or upset. In fact, this lack of comfort can even include an avoidance of expressing positive feelings and interacting with anyone exhibiting any strong emotional reaction, good or bad. This often results in a repression of feelings and pent up emotions that can lead to anger, sadness and emotional distance from others. People with this profile generally don't ask for support, and they might attempt to ignore or rationalize away their emotions. They often feel like they need to protect their integrity or ego by hiding what they consider to be "irrational" emotions. They tend to put on a poker face (perhaps as a defense mechanism), but they may not realize that others can't tell what they are feeling. While they may actually be very sensitive, they could come across as cold and uninvolved.

 

Motivation (score 133)

 

 

Measures whether you report having the ability to motivate yourself, even in difficult situations.

 

Your level of Motivation is way above average. People with such a score possess an amazing amount of natural motivation and self-discipline to work towards their goals. In addition, they do not depend on external reinforcement (like praise or frequent encouragement) to keep them going. Individuals with a high level of inner drive have what it takes to set personal goals and follow through on them, which likely stems from self-confidence and a proactive approach to life.

 

Social Insight and Empathy (score 69)

 

 

Assesses whether you report being able to understand, empathize with, and help manage the emotions of others.

 

You had a low score on Social Insight and Empathy. People with such a profile typically have difficulty recognizing the emotions of others and thus cannot respond adequately. They have problems understanding the underlying motives behind people's actions, which may hinder their social interactions. They respond to the face value of behaviors, making them likely to misread and react to the wrong interpretation of the situation. They find it difficult to put themselves into someone else's shoes and see the situation from another perspective. This tendency can make them a bit narrow-minded and set in their ways. They are not generally empathetic or in tune with how others are feeling, lack social insight and may have some trouble making meaningful human connections. For individuals of this nature, it can seem that other people's reactions come out of the blue - they cannot anticipate what's coming.

 

Recognition of emotions (score 143)

 

 

Measures your ability to recognize other people's emotions.

 

You appear to be much more accurate than the average person when it comes to recognizing the emotions of others. When asked to report what you think a person is feeling based on visual cues, you make many fewer errors than the average person. While you may have picked up on many, if not all, of the correct emotions, the ability to recognize emotions is a human capacity and most people make very few errors. When interacting with others, you are likely able to read body language and facial expressions. This is great because it can help you anticipate how best to approach the people around you.

 

Emotional Integration (score 120)

 

 

Ability to understand what a feeling would feel like, to understand mixed emotions and emotional progressions, underlying emotion behind art or music, or to liken feelings to physical sensations.

 

You appear to be quite skilled when it comes to emotional integration – slightly more skilled than the average person. This scale entails a number of varied skills. First, it entails being able to describe how emotions feel physically, and to liken them to phenomena that occur in the world, such as colors, weather, etc. Second, it entails the capacity to identify the emotion that a person must be feeling based on physical sensations that he or she is experiencing. Finally, it involves the ability to understand how emotions progress when they become stronger or weaker, and what two emotions mixed together become when integrated. You are likely quite skilled at identifying which emotions you are feeling, figuring out what others are feeling, and empathizing with what others experience.

 

Emotional Insightfulness (score 137)

 

 

Assesses whether you are able to identify what a person might be feeling given additional contextual information.

 

You appear to be much more capable than the average person of taking context into consideration when making judgments about other people’s emotions. You are sometimes able to go beyond what you see on the surface (i.e. what is being conveyed solely though facial expressions and body language), and take into consideration both his or her past and the current context when determining what he or she is feeling in that situation. Being able to put yourself in other people’s shoes is essential to understanding others. You almost always appear to have empathy for others and will rarely, if ever, come across as insensitive to their feelings.

 

Control and Maintenance of Emotions (score 93)

 

 

Measures the ability to make good decisions in dealing with emotional situations.

 

While life is seldom black or white, there are certainly good and bad ways to handle emotional situations. On this test, you had more trouble than the average person when it comes to finding appropriate solutions to problems. You may have trouble making decisions about how to resolve issues in your life or when helping others do so. Conversely, you may not realize when something needs to be done; you might let things go instead of taking action. Being able to make decisions about how to deal with emotional situations is essential for many different aspects of life: having successful relationships, dealing with co-workers and handling life’s obstacles, among others. Your ability to nurture others, resolve conflicts, and offer insightful advice is probably somewhat poor because of your struggles in this area.

[james_gsx 16]

I scored 126, which I think is low for me. I didn't get the full report, and I'm starting to wonder if I should have.

[wsam29 10]

Spend the $8 or what ever it is, its well worth it.

 

Money spent here will be money saved from trading when you understand yourself more.

[That One Guy 10]

I scored a Subscale IQ score of 123.

Subscale percentile = 95

 

According to your self-report answers, your emotional intelligence is good. People who score like you do feel that they have little trouble understanding and dealing with their own emotions and those of others. They generally are able to overcome difficulties in their lives and they are able to control their moods in all but the most trying of times. It’s easy for them to motivate themselves to overcome obstacles and reach their goals. In addition, they find social interactions to be quite easy and fulfilling, for several reasons. They are comfortable allowing themselves to get close with others, and feel comfortable being vulnerable enough to establish intimacy. They also report having an easy time offering support to others; this is likely due to an empathetic nature and a clear mind when it comes to offering good advice.

[Tasuki 10]

You guys do realize that this emotional IQ crap is a pile of hooey, right?

[james_gsx 16]

You guys do realize that this emotional IQ crap is a pile of hooey, right?

 

I don't buy it, unless I have a strange ability to read peoples emotions better than anyone I know. Maybe it's just luck. But I'd really like to see some hard evidence that even the trading doctor could confirm legit to back your claim. Sorry if I come across as a dick, I really don't intend to.

[Bannor 10]

I think we can agree that maintaining a stable emotional response/reaction to market events is critical to making effective decisions in the moments of trading.

 

How many of us have looked back at our trading decisions during the course of the day, and asked ourselves "why did I make that decision?" knowing full well what we should have done etc.

 

For lack of a better word, lets agree that "emotions" are why we made the incorrect decision. The heat of the moment, greed, fear, use the terms you want, but I know of ZERO traders who successfully use emotional responses. In fact, most traders I know that have blown up his/her account and moved on, specifically did so because they never harnessed their emotional responses.

 

SO then, if we can agree to that, then we may also agree that there has to be a way to harness this response. Call it emotional IQ, call it Trading In the Zone, call it whatever you want, but I for one refuse to believe my emotional responses are a black box of unchangeable response. Instead, I believe I can work with my beliefs, focus on my skills, and control my emotions effectively.

 

To suggest that emotional control/understanding concepts like "Emotional IQ" are garbage is like driving a broken car down the highway, stating "I dont know why the brakes are making that noise, so I am going to pretend they arent, and keep driving". The rest of us must just try to stay out of your way for when you inevitably crash into a barrier.

 

Trading is not a game, is not gambling, and if you allow your emotions to rule your approach, you will be destroyed by the market. Anything I can do to be more successful with it is my goal, and I would strongly suggest that be the goal of every single person out there trying to be a professional at this.

[Tasuki 10]

Bannor, I was not suggesting that emotional equanimity is unimportant for trading. I was only dissing the "pop psychology" quiz that over-simplifies emotional responses into a two-dimensional test. For example, the quiz asks questions about how to best comfort someone in distress. To imply that there is a right and wrong way to approach this sort of delicate situation that applies to everyone you know is utter nonsense. Some people (like me) want straight advice, others need more circumspect treatment. Still others (like my boss) are incapable of understanding even constructive advice patiently delivered, and the only recourse is to manipulate them. Such complexity is not admissible in this over-simplified IQ quiz, which dubs it "pop psychology" rather than real psychology.

[Bannor 10]

Ok Thats cool - and I agree that "pop psychology" information is just as bad as not paying attention to the emotional aspect of trading at all . . .

[torero 10]

The quiz is lengthy but I assume it's to make sure there is consistency in our response to get a true sense of who we are. I think it's interesting and I'll take it just for the heck of it. The only thing is that it still doesn't tell us in the end what we are capable or not capable of. The real question is: when we become successful in trading, does it also reflect the way we behave around us, among friends and family? If this is true, then the quiz may give an indication our potential to succeed or not. But we are the same outside trading, then there is no sense in taking the test. I, for one, have noticed change in me around others. The perception is somehow just different from the time before I started trading. But it could be age, becoming parents, etc. Who knows. It's still difficult to gauge with this quiz though.