Invariance in measurement and normative data in a brief measure of emotional intelligence in Peruvian university students

The EQ-i-M20 was developed to briefly assess emotional intelligence (EI) using a mixed model. However, normative data and measurement invariance (MI) studies don’t exist for a Peruvian university sample. Consequently, the aim of this study was to obtain normative data, after analyzing the MI of university students. A sample of 2036 university students (68.76% women) from three private universities in two cities (Lima and Chiclayo) was assessed; ages ranged between 16 and 56 (Mage = 21.478), and 74.8% were psychology students. A multi-group factor analysis was implemented for assessing the MI (configural, metric, strong and strict) regarding sex, provenance (Lima and Chiclayo), and career (psychology, and others); percentiles were implemented for the normative data. Results showed that the EQ-i-M20 maintains its five-factor structure, and is invariant regarding the studied groups, and that the normative data has a reliable cut-off. Results were discussed, taking into account previous studies and practical implications. In conclusion, normative data is useful for classifying students regarding the five dimensions of EI.