The relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological wellbeing among undergraduates at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Emotions focus on interdependent reactions in humans that are simultaneously physical, biological, cognitive, and relational. Emotional intelligence is the knowledge of how emotions operate within oneself. During the low stress period, stress, anxiety, and depression were associated with emotion perception, emotion regulation, emotion management, and emotion utilization. This research observed the relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological wellbeing among undergraduates. Its main objective is to seek the nature of relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological wellbeing. This research endeavour is to fill the Sri Lankan research gap. It utilized a convenient sampling technique and intended to draw a sample of 320 male and female undergraduates in four years representing eight faculties/departments, namely Arts, Medicine, Science, Engineering, Law Department, Management, Agriculture and Dental. These were chosen because they focus on different careers in the future and their current subjects are related to it. Research has been conducted from a quantitative approach, utilizing a quiz linked to the google form. SPSS is used to analyse data. Emotional Intelligence is measured by using the Schulte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) and the DASS-21 is used in this educational setting to assess the psychological wellbeing of students. Identifying high levels of stress, anxiety, or depression can help them to overcome mental health problems in their lives. The results show that there is a correlation between emotional intelligence and psychological wellbeing of undergraduates and there is a significant difference between emotional intelligence of undergraduates with levels of Depression, Anxiety and Stress. (F=4.98, 4.18, 7.639, P<0.00). The hypothesis predicted that subscales of emotional intelligence such as perception, regulation, management, and use of emotions would differ significantly across psychological well-being (P<0.00). The highest mean difference of emotional intelligence and psychological wellbeing is reported by the Faculty of Arts, while the lowest one is in the Faculty of Medicine which consists of 119.08, 34.18 and 90.33, 27.10 of means score respectively. There is a significant difference in the means of the emotional intelligence index between each faculty groups and year groups. For example, students from Arts and Medical. Emotional intelligence scores do not vary by socio-demographic factors such as religion, ethnicity, and family income rates of undergraduate students. However, the ANOVA results suggest that gender influences psychological well-being scores (F2 318 = 0.169, P<0.001).