Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EI) is here analyzed as a construct referring to the individual differences in perceiving, regulating, managing, and exploiting emotions, assuming in particular a trait approach to the exploration of the phenomenon. Specifically, the role of trait EI in the definition of the possible in space and in time is addressed, analyzing how individual differences in the management and use of emotions can explain the emerging of different pasts, different futures, as well as different possible worlds. Moreover, the role of trait EI in the expression of the individual potential is explored, taking as example two research topics (i.e., prosocial behavior and creative performance) to understand how emotional intelligence can help in understanding the emerging of possible selves. Finally, future possible research scenarios are offered to explore the use of trait EI as a study variable in the investigation of the possible.