Moderating Effect of Emotional Intelligence on the Relationship between Rumination and Anxiety

Negative self-talk in runners: Emotional intelligence and perceived stress as explanatory factors

To optimize in the cognitive and emotional processes that appear in stressful situations in sports contexts is a relevant aspect to achieve a high level of performance. The present study aimed to analyze the relationship between perceived stress, emotional intelligence and negative self-talk in runners. It also aimed to determine whether emotional intelligence factors could play a protective role in this relationship. The sample consisted of 1071 runners from a race held in the Basque Country (Spain). The age of the participants was between 18 and 75 years (Mean = 41.59; SD = 9.95; 71.4% men). Participants completed an online survey days after the race. The results showed that perceived stress would be related to greater use of negative self-talk. In addition, evaluation of others' emotions and emotional regulation would also explain the occurrence of negative self-talk. Likewise, the interaction between perceived stress and appraisal of one's own emotions would explain the occurrence of negative self-talk, this relationship being stronger among those with lower scores on appraisal of one's own emotions. Results and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Smartphone Addiction Among University Students' During the Post-COVID-19 Era: The Role of Emotional Intelligence and Future Anxiety

OBJECTIVE

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-related psychological symptoms can lead to smartphone addiction (SPA) risk and other behavioral disorders, thus impacting individuals' mental health and well-being. The present study aims to propose a mediation model to investigate the association between emotional intelligence (EI) and SPA, and the mediating role of future anxiety (FA) during the post-COVID-19 era.

METHODS

An online questionnaire including the Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Dark Future Scale, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale among university students from China, was conducted between September 14 and November 22, 2022. Finally, 1,154 valid questionnaires were collected. The reliability and confirmatory factor analysis results showed that all three scales had good reliability and validity.

RESULTS

Structural Equation Model demonstrated that EI significantly and negatively influenced SPA (β=0.211, p<0.001), university students' FA significantly and positively effected SPA (β=0.315, p<0.001), EI significantly predicted SPA in university students, and FA partially mediated the association between EI and SPA. The mediation effect of FA was 0.110, which accounted for 34.27% of the total effect. Bootstrap results furthermore tested the rigor of the mediating effect.

CONCLUSION

These findings broaden our understanding regarding the relationship between EI and SPA and the mediating role of FA, providing new sights for educators on how to reduce the risk of SPA when confronting the ongoing and possible future pandemics.

Psychological distress, rumination and problematic smartphone use among Spanish adolescents: An emotional intelligence-based conditional process analysis

BACKGROUND

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is a public health issue that is currently rising among adolescents. The Compensatory Internet Use Theory (CIUT) poses that difficulties in handling negative life circumstances could result in PSU. Furthermore, the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model suggests that the interaction between core characteristics and affective and cognitive responses could lead to PSU. The present study aimed to clarify the links between psychological distress and PSU by exploring rumination as a mediator and emotional intelligence (EI) as a moderator.

METHODS

A sample of 1882 adolescents (54% female, 46% male) completed measures of psychological distress, rumination, EI and PSU. The PROCESS macro was used to conduct a moderated mediation analysis.

RESULTS

The mediation results showed a significant indirect effect from psychological distress to PSU through rumination. Furthermore, EI was a significant moderator of this effect. Thus, in adolescents with higher EI, the effect of psychological distress on PSU through rumination was not significant.

LIMITATIONS

Cross-sectional data do not imply causality and further studies should use longitudinal designs. Self-report questionnaires may be susceptible to social desirability bias and future studies including other sources of information may help to minimize such bias.

CONCLUSIONS

This study contributes to the field of problematic digital technology usage, showing that the link between psychological distress and PSU depends on the EI levels, which might influence PSU indirectly through rumination. Furthermore, empirical evidence for the CIUT and I-PACE models was provided. Lastly, interventions aiming at training EI may aid in the prevention of PSU.

Emotional intelligence in Greek teacher education: Findings from a short intervention

Emotional intelligence (EI) is widely known to be crucial for professional development in education, and it is a curricular component of Greek teacher education. Still, there is little information available on student teachers’ EI. The aim of this study was to explore whether student teachers’ trait EI can be developed through a two-week, EI-focused intervention. The study followed a quasi-experimental design with a mixed method approach, using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (Greek version) (N = 42) and reflective emotion diaries (N = 19). The participants were third-year undergraduate students studying primary education and teaching at the University of Crete. While the results from the statistical analysis showed no development of student teachers’ trait EI, the findings from the thematic analysis of the reflective emotion diaries suggested that this intervention was beneficial, facilitating emotion identification and potentially enabling emotion regulation through increased self-awareness. The study concludes with a discussion of its limitations and practical implications for future intervention studies on EI.

Trait Emotional Intelligence and School Burnout Discriminate Between High and Low Alexithymic Profiles: A Study With Female Adolescents

Alexithymic traits, which entail finding it difficult to recognize and describe one's own emotions, are linked with poor trait emotional intelligence (TEI) and difficulties in identifying and managing stressors. There is evidence that alexithymia may have detrimental consequences for wellbeing and health, beginning in adolescence. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the prevalence and incidence of alexithymia in teenage girls, testing the statistical power of TEI and student burnout to discriminate between high- and low-alexithymic subjects. A sample of 884 female high school students (mean age 16.2 years, age range 14-19) attending three Italian academic-track high schools (social sciences and humanities curriculum) completed self-report measures of alexithymia, school burnout, and TEI. Main descriptive statistics and correlational analysis preceded the discriminant analysis. The mean alexithymia scores suggest a high prevalence of alexithymia in female adolescents; as expected, this trait was negatively correlated with TEI and positively associated with school burnout. Participants with high vs. low alexithymia profiles were discriminated by a combination of TEI and burnout scores. High scores for the emotionality and self-control dimensions of TEI were strongly associated with membership of the low alexithymia group; high scores for the emotional exhaustion dimension of school burnout were indicative of membership of the high alexithymia group. These findings suggest crucial focuses for educational intervention: efforts to reduce the risk of emotional exhaustion and school burnout should especially concentrate on enhancing emotional awareness and self-control skills, both strongly associated with low levels of alexithymia.

Trait Emotional Intelligence and School Burnout: The Mediating Role of Resilience and Academic Anxiety in High School

The main aim of the current study was to investigate the role of trait emotional intelligence (TEI) in preventing students’ school burnout directly and indirectly via anxiety and academic resilience. The data were derived from a sample of 1235 high school students (962 females and 273 males), ranging in age between 13 and 17 years (mean = 15.46; stand deviation = 1.22). Structural equation modelling revealed a strong indirect effect of TEI on school burnout, mediated via anxiety and resilience. Overall, students with high TEI were less likely to experience school anxiety and more likely to exhibit resilience which, in turn, reduced school burnout risk. Findings are discussed with reference to the wider role of TEI in educational contexts and highlight the need and potential for scientifically driven interventions to enhance emotional adjustment at school and in life, more generally.