Top

Journal of Happiness Studies

Published in:

24-11-2018 | Research Paper

Perceived Emotional Intelligence and Life Satisfaction Among Adolescent Students: The Mediating Role of Resilience

Authors: Estibaliz Ramos-Díaz, Arantzazu Rodríguez-Fernández, Inge Axpe, Margaret Ferrara

Published in: Journal of Happiness Studies | Issue 8/2019

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config

AI-assisted search

Off

Abstract

Although there is a growing interest in identifying the psychological strengths that enhance students’ life satisfaction, there is a lack of understanding of the mechanisms involved in during adolescence. This study aimed to examine whether resilience serves as mediator in the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence and life satisfaction in adolescence. To prove this hypothesis, nine hundred and forty-five adolescent students were asked to complete several self-report questionnaires: the Trait Meta-Mood Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Analysis of the hypothesized model indicated that resilience mediated the association between the three dimensions of emotional intelligence (emotional attention, emotional clarity, and emotional repair) and life satisfaction. Results also revealed a direct influence of the sub-scale of emotional repair on life satisfaction. According to the multi-group test, the identified model was invariant across gender so that the resilient processes through which perceived emotional intelligence affects student’s life satisfaction were similar for males and females. The present findings highlight the importance of developing resilience as a possible target for school interventions aimed at improving adolescent’s life satisfaction. In addition to these implications, the article concludes with limitations and directions for further research suggesting the need for longitudinal studies beyond self-reported measures.

previous article Linking Proactive Personality to Life Satisfaction in the Chinese Context: The Mediation of Interpersonal Trust and Moderation of Positive Reciprocity Beliefs

next article Teachers Matter: Student Outcomes Following a Strengths Intervention are Mediated by Teacher Strengths Spotting

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 102.000 Bücher
über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 67.000 Bücher
über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Álvarez-García, D., Núñez-Pérez, J. C. N., Dobarro-González, A. D., & Rodríguez-Pérez, C. R. (2015). Risk factors associated with cybervictimization in adolescence. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology,15(3), 226–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2015.03.002.CrossRef

Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin,103(3), 411.CrossRef

Armstrong, A. R., Galligan, R. F., & Critchley, C. R. (2011). Emotional intelligence and psychological resilience to negative life events. Personality and Individual Differences,51(3), 331–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.03.025.CrossRef

Atienza, F. L., Pons, D., Balaguer, I., & García-Merita, M. L. (2000). Propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Satisfacción con la Vida en adolescentes. Psicothema,12(2), 314–319.

Augusto-Landa, J. M., Pulido-Martos, M. P., & López-Zafra, E. (2010). Emotional intelligence and personality traits as predictors of psychological well-being in Spanish undergraduates. Social Behavior and Personality,38(6), 783–793. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2010.38.6.783.CrossRef

Bajaj, B., Gupta, R., & Pande, N. (2016). Self-esteem mediates the relationship between mindfulness and well-being. Personality and Individual Differences,94, 96–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.01.020.CrossRef

Bajaj, B., & Pande, N. (2016). Mediating role of resilience in the impact of mindfulness on life satisfaction and affect as indices of subjective well-being. Personality and Individual Differences,93, 63–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.09.005.CrossRef

Balluerka, N., Aritzeta, A., Gorostiaga, A., Gartzia, L., & Soroa, G. (2013). Emotional intelligence and depressed mood in adolescence: A multilevel approach. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology,13(2), 110–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1697-2600(13)70014-0.CrossRef

Bar-On, R. (1997). The emotional intelligence inventory (EQ-I): Technical manual. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.

Ben-Arieh, A., Casas, F., Frønes, I., & Korbin, J. E. (2014). Multifaceted concept of child well-being. In A. Ben-Arieh, et al. (Eds.), Handbook of child well-being: Theories, methods and policies in global perspective (pp. 1–27). New York, NY: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9063-8_134.CrossRef

Borkar, V. N. (2016). Positive school climate and positive education: Impact on students’ well-being. Indian Journal of Health & Wellbeing,7(8), 861–862.

Campbell-Sills, L., & Stein, M. B. (2007). Psychometric analysis and refinement of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC): Validation of a 10-item measure of resilience. Journal of Traumatic Stress,20(6), 1019–1028. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20271.CrossRef

Connor, K. M., & Davidson, J. T. (2003). Development of a new resilience scale: The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Depression and Anxiety,18(2), 76–82. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.10113.CrossRef

Diener, E. (2008). Myths in the science of happiness, and directions for future research. In M. Eid & R. J. Larsen (Eds.), The science of subjective well-being (pp. 493–514). New York, NY: Guilford.

Diener, E. D., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment,49(1), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.5.2.164.CrossRef

Diener, E., Oishi, S., & Ryan, K. L. (2013). Universal and cultural differences in the causes and structure of happiness: A multilevel review. In C. L. M. Keyes (Ed.), Mental well-being: International contributions to the study of positive mental health (pp. 153–176). New York, NY: Springer.CrossRef

Dray, J., Bowman, J., Campbell, E., Freund, M., Wolfenden, L., Hodder, R. K., et al. (2017). Systematic review of universal resilience-focused interventions targeting child and adolescent mental health in the school setting. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,56(10), 813–824. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2017.07.780.CrossRef

Elmore, G. M., & Huebner, E. S. (2010). Adolescents’ satisfaction with school experiences: Relationships with demographics, attachment relationships, and school engagement behavior. Psychology in the Schools,47(6), 525–537. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20488.CrossRef

Extremera, N., & Fernández-Berrocal, P. (2006). Emotional intelligence as predictor of mental, social, and physical health in university students. The Spanish Journal of Psychology,9(1), 45–51. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1138741600005965.CrossRef

Extremera, N., & Rey, L. (2016). Ability emotional intelligence and life satisfaction: Positive and negative affect as mediators. Personality and Individual Differences,102, 98–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.06.051.CrossRef

Extremera, N., Ruiz-Aranda, D., Pineda-Galán, C., & Salguero, J. M. (2011). Emotional intelligence and its relation with hedonic and eudaimonic well-being: A prospective study. Personality and Individual Differences,51(1), 11–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.02.029.CrossRef

Fernández-Berrocal, P., Extremera, N., & Ramos, N. (2004). Validity and reliability of the Spanish modified version of the Trait Meta-Mood Scale. Psychological Reports,94, 751–755.CrossRef

Fletcher, D., & Sarkar, M. (2013). Psychological resilience: A review and critique of definitions, concepts, and theory. European Psychologist,18(1), 12–23. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000124.CrossRef

Forrest, C. B., Bevans, K. B., Riley, A. W., Crespo, R., & Louis, T. A. (2013). Health and school outcomes during children’s transition into adolescence. Journal of Adolescent Health,52(2), 186–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.06.019.CrossRef

Harms, P. D., Brady, L., Wood, D., & Silard, A. (2018). Resilience and well-being. In E. Diener, S. Oishi, & L. Tay (Eds.), Handbook of well-being (pp. 1–12). Salt Lake City, UT: DEF Publishers.

Hodzic, S., Ripoll, P., Costa, H., & Zenasni, F. (2016). Are emotionally intelligent students more resilient to stress? The moderating effect of emotional attention, clarity and repair. Behavioral Psychology,24(2), 253–272.

Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling,6(1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118.CrossRef

Hu, T., Zhang, D., & Wang, J. (2015). A meta-analysis of the trait resilience and mental health. Personality and Individual Differences,76, 18–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.11.039.CrossRef

Huebner, E. S., Hills, K. J., Siddall, J., & Gilman, R. (2014). Life satisfaction and schooling. In M. J. Furlong, R. Gilman, E. S. Huebner, M. J. Furlong, R. Gilman, & E. S. Huebner (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology in schools (pp. 192–207). New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Kline, R. B. (2015). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. New York, NY: Guilford.

Kong, F., & Zhao, J. (2013). Affective mediators of the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and life satisfaction in young adults. Personality and Individual Differences, 54(2), 197–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.08.028.CrossRef

Kristjánsson, K. (2012). Positive psychology and positive education: Old wine in new bottles? Educational Psychologist,47(2), 86–105. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2011.610678.CrossRef

Larson, R. W. (2000). Toward a psychology of positive youth development. American Psychologist,55(1), 170–183. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066X.55.1.170.CrossRef

Lerner, R. M., Almerigi, J. B., Theokas, C., & Lerner, J. V. (2005). Positive youth development a view of the issues. Journal of Early Adolescence,25(1), 10–16.CrossRef

Lewis, A. D., Huebner, E. S., Malone, P. S., & Valois, R. F. (2011). Life satisfaction and student engagement in adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence,40(3), 249–262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-010-9517-6.CrossRef

Limonero, J. T., Tomás-Sábado, J., Fernández-Castro, J., Gómez-Romero, M. J., & Ardilla-Herrero, A. (2012). Resilient coping strategies and emotion regulation: Predictors of life satisfaction. Behavioral Psychology,20(1), 183–196.

Liu, Y., Wang, Z., & Li, Z. (2012). Affective mediators of the influence of neuroticism and resilience on life satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences,52(7), 833–838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.01.017.CrossRef

Liu, Y., Wang, Z., & Lü, W. (2013). Resilience and affect balance as mediators between trait emotional intelligence and life satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences,54(7), 850–855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.12.010.CrossRef

Liu, Y., Wang, Z., Zhou, C., & Li, T. (2014). Affect and self-esteem as mediators between trait resilience and psychological adjustment. Personality and Individual Differences,66, 92–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.03.023.CrossRef

Lü, W., Wang, Z., Liu, Y., & Zhang, H. (2014). Resilience as a mediator between extraversion, neuroticism and happiness, PA and NA. Personality and Individual Differences,63, 128–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.01.015.CrossRef

Luthar, S. S., Cicchetti, D., & Becker, B. (2000). The construct of resilience: A critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Development, 71(3), 543–562. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00164.CrossRef

Lyons, M. D., & Huebner, E. S. (2016). Academic characteristics of early adolescents with higher levels of life satisfaction. Applied Research in Quality of Life,11(3), 757–771. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-015-9394-y.CrossRef

Magnano, P., Craparo, G., & Paolillo, A. (2016). Resilience and emotional intelligence: Which role in achievement motivation. International Journal of Psychological Research,9(1), 9–20.CrossRef

Masten, A. S. (2014a). Global perspectives on resilience in children and youth. Child Development,85(1), 6–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12205.CrossRef

Masten, A. S. (2014b). Ordinary magic: Resilience in development. New York, NY: Guilford.

Matthews, G., Zeidner, M., & Roberts, R. D. (2002). Emotional intelligence: Science and myth. Cambridge: MIT Press.CrossRef

Mayer, J. D., Caruso, D. R., & Salovey, P. (2016). The ability model of emotional intelligence: Principles and updates. Emotion Review,8(4), 290–300. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073916639667.CrossRef

Mayer, J. D., Roberts, R., & Barsade, S. (2008). Human abilities: Emotional intelligence. Annual Review of Psychology,59, 507–536. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.59.103006.093646.CrossRef

Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In P. Salovey & D. Sluyter (Eds.), Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Implications for educators (pp. 3–31). New York, NY: Basic Books.

New, A. S., Fan, J., Murrough, J. W., Liu, X., Liebman, R. E., Guise, K. G., et al. (2009). A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of deliberate emotion regulation in resilience and posttraumatic stress disorder. Biological Psychiatry,66(7), 656–664. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.05.020.CrossRef

Ng, Z. J., Huebner, S. E., & Hills, K. J. (2015). Life satisfaction and academic performance in early adolescents: Evidence for reciprocal association. Journal f School Psychology,53(6), 479–491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2015.09.004.CrossRef

Noble, T., & McGrath, H. (2016). The PROSPER school pathways for student wellbeing: Policy and practices. New York, NY: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21795-6.CrossRef

Noddings, N. (2003). Happiness and education. Cambridge: Cambridge University. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511499920.CrossRef

Noorbakhsh, S. N., Besharat, M. A., & Zarei, J. (2010). Emotional intelligence and coping styles with stress. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences,5, 818–822. https://doi.org/10.21013/jmss.v3.n3.p24.CrossRef

Oshio, A., Taku, K., Hirano, M., & Saeed, G. (2018). Resilience and big five personality traits: A meta analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 127, 54–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.01.048.CrossRef

Pemberton, R., & Wainwright, T. (2014). The end of mental illness thinking? International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology,14(3), 216–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2014.05.003.CrossRef

Pena, M., & Losada, L. (2017). Test Anxiety in Spanish adolescents: Examining the role of emotional attention, and ruminative self-focus and regulation. Frontiers in Psychology,8, 1423. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01423.CrossRef

Petrides, K. V., & Furnham, A. (2000). On the dimensional structure of emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences,29(2), 313–320. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00195-6.CrossRef

Rey, L., Extremera, N., & Pena, M. (2011). Perceived emotional intelligence, self-esteem and life satisfaction in adolescents. Psychosocial Intervention,20(2), 227–234. https://doi.org/10.5093/in2011v20n2a10.CrossRef

Rodríguez-Fernández, A., Ramos-Díaz, E., Fernández-Zabala, A., Goñi, E., Esnaola, I., & Goñi, A. (2016). Contextual and psychological variables in a descriptive model of subjective well-being and school engagement. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology,16(2), 166–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2016.01.003.CrossRef

Sagone, E., & De Caroli, M. E. (2014). Relationships between psychological well-being and resilience in middle and late adolescents. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,141, 881–887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.05.154.CrossRef

Salami, S. O. (2011). Personality and psychological well-being of adolescents: The moderating role of emotional intelligence. Social Behavior and Personality,39, 785–794. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2011.39.6.785.CrossRef

Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9(3), 185–211. https://doi.org/10.2190/DUGG-P24E-52WK-6CDG.CrossRef

Salovey, P., Mayer, J. D., Goldman, S. L., Turvey, C., & Palfai, T. P. (1995). Emotional attention, clarity, and repair: Exploring emotional intelligence using the Trait Meta-Mood Scale. In J. W. Pennebaker (Ed.), Emotion, disclosure, and health (pp. 125–154). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10182-006.CrossRef

Salovey, P., Stroud, L. R., Woolery, A., & Epel, E. S. (2002). Perceived emotional intelligence, stress reactivity, and symptom reports: Further explorations using the trait meta-mood scale. Psychology & Health,17(5), 611–627. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870440290025812.CrossRef

Sánchez-Álvarez, N., Extremera, N., & Fernández-Berrocal, P. (2015). Maintaining life satisfaction in adolescence: Affective mediators of the influence of perceived emotional intelligence on overall life satisfaction judgments in a two-year longitudinal study. Frontiers in Psychology,6, 1892. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01892.CrossRef

Sánchez-Álvarez, N., Extremera, N., & Fernández-Berrocal, P. (2016). The relation between emotional intelligence and subjective well-being: A meta-analytic investigation. Journal of Positive Psychology,11, 276–285. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2015.1058968.CrossRef

Schneider, T. R., Lyons, J. B., & Khazon, S. (2013). Emotional intelligence and resilience. Personality and Individual. Differerences,55(8), 909–914. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2013.07.460.CrossRef

Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Flow and the foundations of positive psychology. In M. E. P. Seligman & M. Csikszentmihalyi (Eds.), Positive psychology: An introduction (pp. 279–298). Dordrecht: Springer.

Seligman, M. E. P., Ernst, R. M., Gillham, J., Reivich, K., & Linkins, M. (2009). Positive education: Positive psychology and classroom interventions. Oxford Review of Education,35(3), 293–311. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980902934563.CrossRef

Shankland, R., & Rosset, E. (2017). Review of brief school-based positive psychological interventions: A taster for teachers and educators. Educational Psychology Review,29(2), 363–392. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-016-9357-3.CrossRef

Slemp, G. R., Chin, T., Kern, M. L., Siokou, C., Loton, D., Oades, L. G., et al. (2017). Positive education in Australia: Practice, measurement, and future directions. In E. Frydenberg, A. J. Martin, R. J. Collie, E. Frydenberg, A. J. Martin, & R. J. Collie (Eds.), Social and emotional learning in Australia and the Asia-Pacific: Perspectives, programs and approaches (pp. 101-122). New York, NY: Springer. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3394-0_6.

Sun, P., Wang, S., & Kong, F. (2014). Core self-evaluation as mediator and moderator of the relationship between emotional intelligence and life satisfaction. Social Indicators Research,118(1), 173–180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0413-9.CrossRef

Thayer, J. F., Rossy, L. A., Ruiz-Padial, E., & Johnsen, B. H. (2003). Gender differences in the relationship between emotional regulation and depressive symptoms. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 27(3), 349–364. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023922618287.CrossRef

Toland, J., & Carrigan, D. (2011). Educational psychology and resilience: New concept, new opportunities. School Psychology International,32(1), 95–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034310397284.CrossRef

Urquijo, I., Extremera, N., & Villa, A. (2016). Emotional intelligence, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being in graduates: The mediating effect of perceived stress. Applied Research in Quality of Life,11(4), 1241–1252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-015-9432-9.CrossRef

Weber, M., Wagner, L., & Ruch, W. (2016). Positive feelings at school: On the relationships between students’ character strengths, school-related affect, and school functioning. Journal of Happiness Studies,17(1), 341–355. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9597-1.CrossRef

Wright, M., Masten, A. S., & Narayan, A. J. (2013). Resilience processes in development: Four waves of research on positive adaptation in the context of adversity. In S. Goldstein & R. B. Brooks (Eds.), Handbook of resilience in children (pp. 15–37). New York, NY: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3661-4_2.CrossRef

Zeidner, M., Matthews, G., & Roberts, R. D. (2012). What we know about emotional intelligence: How it affects learning, work, relationships, and our mental health. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Title: Perceived Emotional Intelligence and Life Satisfaction Among Adolescent Students: The Mediating Role of Resilience
Authors: Estibaliz Ramos-Díaz
Arantzazu Rodríguez-Fernández
Inge Axpe
Margaret Ferrara
Publication date: 24-11-2018
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Journal of Happiness Studies / Issue 8/2019
Print ISSN: 1389-4978
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7780
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-0058-0

Springer Professional

Abstract

Please log in to get access to your license.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Other articles of this Issue 8/2019

How Is Emotional Intelligence Linked to Life Satisfaction? The Mediating Role of Social Support, Positive Affect and Negative Affect

Air Pollution as a Moderator in the Association Between Leisure Activities and Well-Being in Urban China

Commuting and Life Satisfaction Revisited: Evidence on a Non-linear Relationship

Longitudinal Trajectories of Passion and Their Individual and Social Determinants: A Latent Growth Modeling Approach

Together is Better: Higher Committed Relationships Increase Life Satisfaction and Reduce Loneliness

Association of Positive Affect with Cognitive Health and Decline for Elder Mexican Americans