Emotional Intelligence can Make a Difference in Students from Communication under the Competency-Based Education Model

The aim of the current study is to compare the levels of emotional intelligence (EI) in a group of university students from communication, according with the expected competence achievement. Participants were 313 university students (M = 20.20 years old, SD = 2.41; 61% women) enrolled in the School of Communication at a private university in Lima (Peru) which uses the Competency Based Education Model. The EI was measured with the Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS). There were found gender differences in EI, and thus comparative analyses were done separately by gender. Among men, there were no differences between groups in EI (lower level vs. higher level). By contrast, women from the lower level scored higher than women from the higher-level group in: others' emotional appraisal, use of emotion, and EI total score. We suggested to incorporate the EI competence within the UPC educational model.