This work was supported by a grant from Shalem Fund
Studies examining cognitive development in intellectual disability (ID) support the Compensation Age Theory which suggests that intelligence in adults with ID peaks at age 40-45 (Lifshitz, 2020; Lifshitz-Vahav, 2015). For the first time, this study investigated emotional intelligence (EI) trajectories among adolescents (CA = 16-21) and adults (CA = 22-40) with ID (N = 55, IQ = 40-70) compared to typically developing peers (N = 54, IQ = 85-115). Three main models for EI were developed: the Abilities Model (cognitive), the Traits Model (emotional), and the Mixed Model (both dimensions). Results revealed that adults with ID demonstrated higher emotional abilities than adolescents in cognitive-based models. Furthermore, significant correlations were found between all three models in both research groups, indicating strong connections between cognitive and emotional components. The findings extend the Compensation Age Theory to EI, suggesting that cognitive maturation and life experience contribute to emotional development in the ID population.
Keywords: Emotional intelligence, Abilities Model, Traits Model, Mixed Model, Intellectual disability, Continuous (compensatory) Trajectory.