ONE WAY TO TEST YOUR EQ

Unlike IQ, which is gauged by the famous Stanford-Binet tests, EQ does not lend itself to any single numerical measure. Nor should it, say experts. Emotional intelligence is by definition a complex, multifaceted quality representing such intangibles as self-awareness, empathy, persistence and social deftness.

Some aspects of emotional intelligence, however, can be quantified. Optimism, for example, is a handy measure of a person's self-worth. According to Martin Seligman, a University of Pennsylvania psychologist, how people respond to setbacks--optimistically or pessimistically--is a fairly accurate indicator of how well they will succeed in school, in sports and in certain kinds of work. To test his theory, Seligman devised a questionnaire to screen insurance salesmen at MetLife.

In Seligman's test, job applicants were asked to imagine a hypothetical event and then choose the response (A or B) that most closely resembled their own. Some samples from his questionnaire:

You forget your spouse's (boyfriend's/girlfriend's) birthday.

A. I'm not good at remembering birthdays. B. I was preoccupied with other things.

You owe the library $10 for an overdue book.

A. When I am really involved in what I am reading, I often forget when it's due. B. I was so involved in writing the report, I forgot to return the book.

You lose your temper with a friend.

A. He or she is always nagging me. B. He or she was in a hostile mood.

You are penalized for returning your income-tax forms late.

A. I always put off doing my taxes. B. I was lazy about getting my taxes done this year.

You've been feeling run-down.

A. I never get a chance to relax. B. I was exceptionally busy this week.

A friend says something that hurts your feelings.

A. She always blurts things out without thinking of others. B. My friend was in a bad mood and took it out on me.

You fall down a great deal while skiing.

A. Skiing is difficult. B. The trails were icy.

You gain weight over the holidays, and you can't lose it.

A. Diets don't work in the long run. B. The diet I tried didn't work.

Seligman found that those insurance salesmen who answered with more B's than A's were better able to overcome bad sales days, recovered more easily from rejection and were less likely to quit. People with an optimistic view of life tend to treat obstacles and setbacks as temporary (and therefore surmountable). Pessimists take them personally; what others see as fleeting, localized impediments, they view as pervasive and permanent.