Level of Emotional Intelligence and its association with person-related characteristics among grade 8 students in a suburban setting

Background: The concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) has become an emerging topic in the field of clinical psychology in recent years, especially in relation to adolescents. Although many studies have been conducted globally, limited evidence is available in Sri Lanka on its magnitude and person-related factors affecting it in school population. Objectives : To describe the level of EI and to determine its relationship with demographic and socio-economic characteristics among Grade eight students in a suburban setting. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 among male and female Grade eight students in Embilipitiya educational zone. Eight classes were randomly selected as ‘clusters’ from two purposively selected mix schools. A self-administered questionnaire assessed the level of EI (based on scores obtained for 15 constructs using the validated TEIQue-ASF questionnaire) and demographic and socio-economic characteristics (gender; parental education, occupation and monthly income; birth order and number of siblings). Based on the mean score, participants were categorized as having ‘good’ or ‘poor’ level of EI. The associations of EI with socio-economic characteristics were assessed for significance using t and Chi-square tests. Results: Response rate was 87%. Mean score obtained for EI was 144 (SD=17.3) with students scoring low in impulsiveness (mean=6.69, SD=2.91), emotion perception (mean=7.71, SD=2.52) and adaptability (mean=7.99, SD=2.87). ‘Good’ level of EI was noted in 49.4% of all students. A significantly higher proportion of female students showed a ‘good’ level of EI (54.5%) compared to 43.1% among the males (p=0.04). Conclusion: Nearly 50% of students demonstrated a ‘good’ level of EI. Female students were emotionally more intelligent than their male counterparts. No other socio-economic characteristic was associated with ‘good’ EI.