Emotional intelligence abilities, social support and quality of life

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between Emotional Intelligence abilities and their effects on quality of life and well-being also controlling for Personality characteristics. Participants were 155 Greek female students who completed the MSCEIT, the UCLA loneliness scale, the State Anxiety Inventory, the Personality Traits Inventory (TEXAP) and two of the WHO Quality of life survey. The results showed significant associations between Emotional Intelligence and: social support, the quality of close relationships, loneliness and state anxiety. Hierarchical multiple regressions showed that the Experiential EI was a significant predictor of state anxiety and the Strategic EI was a predictor of social relationships and the psychological health aspect of quality of life. Social support was found to have significant partial correlations only with loneliness. The above relationships remained significant also after controlling statistically for the big five personality traits, something that attests for the discriminant and predictive validity of the ability EL.