TITLE:
Understanding the Enabling Conditions for Emotional Intelligence Development in Adults: Insights from a Qualitative Expert Study
AUTHORS:
Lisa Bellinghausen, Anna Komkova, Tanja Martin
KEYWORDS:
Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence Development in Adulthood, Emotional Learning, Individual and Environmental Conditions of EI Development, Emotionally Supportive Others, Workplace Emotional Intelligence
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.17 No.10,
October
29,
2026
ABSTRACT: Emotional intelligence (EI) and its benefits for personal and professional life are now well established. Consequently, the development of EI competencies has attracted growing interest. However, knowledge regarding the underlying developmental mechanism and its enabling conditions in adulthood remains underexplored and fragmented. The aim of this qualitative expert study is to fill this gap. Findings from interviews with nine experts, actively involved in EI research and practice, suggest that EI development mechanism is both iterative and stepwise. Furthermore, EI development is not merely supported by isolated factors but is best understood as an adaptive developmental system emerging from continuous interactions and feedback loops between the individual and the environmental enabling conditions. Finally, experts highlight that the benefits of EI development extend far beyond the individual, generating cascading positive effects on relationships, teams, and organizational culture.