The Role of Strategic Emotional Intelligence in Predicting Adolescents’ Academic Achievement: Possible Interplays with Verbal Intelligence and Personality

Abstract

As recent meta-analyses confirmed that emotional intelligence (EI), particularly strategic EI, adjoins intelligence and personality in predicting academic achievement, we explored possible arrangements in which these predictors affect the given outcome in adolescents. Three models, with versions including either overall strategic EI or its branches, were considered: (a) a mediation model, whereby strategic EI partially mediates the effects of verbal intelligence (VI) and personality on achievement; the branch-level version assumed that emotion understanding affects achievement in a cascade via emotion management; (b) a direct effects model, with strategic EI/branches placed alongside VI and personality as another independent predictor of achievement; and (c) a moderation model, whereby personality moderates the effects of VI and strategic EI/branches on achievement. We tested these models in a sample of 227 students (M = 16.50 years) and found that both the mediation and the direct effects model with overall strategic EI fit the data; there was no support for a cascade within strategic EI, nor for the assumption that personality merely moderates the effects of abilities on achievement. Principally, strategic EI both mediated the effects of VI and openness, and independently predicted academic achievement, and it did so through emotion understanding directly, “skipping” emotion management.

The mediating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between learning motivation and academic outcomes: Conditional indirect effect of gender

“…[ 42 ] Besides, EI independently predicted AO through emotional understanding skills and significantly mediates the effect of verbal intelligence and openness on AO among Spanish adolescents. [ 2 ] Molero Jurado et al . (2021) added that EI significantly mediates the relationship between low AO and burnout via emotional regulation skills.…”

“…In addition, it is vital to harmonize mental and physical health, realizing the fullest development of humanity and overall quality of life. [ 1 2 3 ]…”

“…The mediating role of EI on AO was widely studied in the light of its effect on many academic performance and achievement-linked variables such as self-efficacy,[ 30 31 ] verbal intelligence and openness,[ 2 ] school burnout,[ 32 ] and emerging adulthood. [ 33 ] Nevertheless, the mediating effect of EI in the relationship between LM and AO is under investigation in the literature.…”

Predicting Academic Performance: Analysis of Students’ Mental Health Condition from Social Media Interactions

“…There is a direct correlation between mental and physical health [10]. Several studies [11][12][13][14][15] have also described that psychological attributes and mental health significantly influence one's performance in different real-life activities. A few studies [16,17] show strong association with students' drop out rate and their mental health problems.…”