Carolyn MacCann

My research expertise is primarily in psychological assessment and test development, particularly focusing on “soft skills” such as emotional intelligence, personality, teamwork, and time management. I am increasingly specialising towards emotional intelligence and related abilities, with a new research stream focusing on the underlying cognitive and appraisal processes that characterise emotional intelligence, and the links between emotional intelligence and coping with stress. I study the mechanisms underpinning emotion regulation, and the processes by which emotional intelligence affects valued outcomes such as job performance, academic performance, and wellbeing.

The methods I use include experience sampling (ESM) and ecological momentary assessment (EMA), which require multi-level modeling and structural equation modeling. I am also interested in lab-induced stress paradigms (such as the Trier Social Stress Talk), including the psycho-physiological outcomes of stress (e.g., increased blood cortisol levels).