Emotional competences of convicts in prison for gender violence crimes

This study analyzes emotional intelligence and cognitive and affective empathy in a sample of 128 convicts of gender violence, incarcerated in different Spanish prisons, and the predictive value of emotional intelligence on the empathy construct. The Spanish adaptation of the Meta-Mood Scale Trait (TMMS-24) and the Cognitive and Affective Empathy Test (TECA) were applied for this research. The results suggest that the sample has an adequate meta-knowledge of emotional states, an awareness of their own emotions and dexterity to regulate these emotions. Also, the subjects presented average levels of cognitive and affective empathy. In addition, it was found that a better understanding and regulation of their own emotion (components of emotional intelligence) would relate to and, at the same time, predict an adequate recognition of emotional states of the other person and an ability to put oneself in another’s place (cognitive empathy).