Psychometric Evaluation of the Arabic Version of the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) in Medical Sciences Students

Objective: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is recognized as a key factor in modulating psychological states, enhancing therapeutic interactions, and managing stress. It also plays a crucial role in augmenting students' intellectual abilities. The primary objective of this study was to examine the construct validity, internal consistency, and factorial structure of the Arabic version of the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS). Methods and Materials: The psychometric properties of the Arabic WLEIS were examined in a cross-sectional study. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, while validity was evaluated through face, content, and construct validity assessments. A convenience sample of 630 medical sciences students participated in the study. Findings: The Cronbach’s alpha for the WLEIS was 0.87. All factors with four items each had eigenvalues greater than 1. The factor correlations ranged from 0.58 to 0.75 (p = 0.01), indicating sufficient intercorrelations. The 16 items loaded onto four factors, each consisting of four items. The appropriateness of factor analysis was confirmed using the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO = 0.857) test and Bartlett’s test of sphericity (χ² = 4512.837, p < 0.001). Overall, these factors explained 66.435% of the variance. Conclusion: The psychometric analysis indicates that the Arabic version of WLEIS possesses adequate reliability and validity for assessing emotional intelligence in Arabic-speaking populations.