Pathways Into Psychosocial Adjustment in Children: Modeling the Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence, Social-Emotional Problems, and Gender
Trait Emotional intelligence (Trait EI) can be understood as a personality trait related to individual differences in recognition, processing, and the regulation of emotionally charged information. Trait EI has been considered a variable of great importance in determining psychosocial adjustment. Ho...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-03-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00507/full |
| _version_ | 1819086337949564928 |
|---|---|
| author | Jose A. Piqueras Ornela Mateu-Martínez Javier Cejudo Juan-Carlos Pérez-González |
| author_facet | Jose A. Piqueras Ornela Mateu-Martínez Javier Cejudo Juan-Carlos Pérez-González |
| author_sort | Jose A. Piqueras |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Trait Emotional intelligence (Trait EI) can be understood as a personality trait related to individual differences in recognition, processing, and the regulation of emotionally charged information. Trait EI has been considered a variable of great importance in determining psychosocial adjustment. However, most research on Trait EI has focused on adult and adolescent populations, while very few studies have explored its influence on children. The aim of this study was to analyze possible pathways into psychosocial adjustment in children by examining the combined effects of Trait EI and emotional and social problems. It also aimed to assess the possible mediating role of gender in this relationship. A total of 268 Spanish children participated in this study, ranging in age from 8 to 12 years (mean age = 10.09, SD = 1.32, 45.10% male). Selected measures were applied through a web-based survey called DetectaWeb. The regression and mediation/moderation analyses confirmed that psychosocial adjustment in children was determined by Trait EI directly and by emotional and social problems in an indirect way. Together, the three variables explained 46% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment, although Trait EI was the most powerful predictor (44%), demonstrating incremental validity over and above social and emotional problems. In addition, gender was shown to be a moderating variable between Trait EI and psychosocial adjustment; for girls specifically, lower Trait EI scores were a determinant of lower levels of psychosocial adjustment, regardless of emotional and social problems. It can be concluded that the identified pathways provide keys for emotional education interventions aimed at promoting psychosocial adjustment, well-being, and good mental health among children. Our findings support the buffer role of Trait EI against maladjustment risk in children, but more clearly in girls. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:18:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ec4b32ce742e45c291cf55f903f6718f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:18:39Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-ec4b32ce742e45c291cf55f903f6718f2022-12-21T18:49:56ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782019-03-011010.3389/fpsyg.2019.00507418426Pathways Into Psychosocial Adjustment in Children: Modeling the Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence, Social-Emotional Problems, and GenderJose A. Piqueras0Ornela Mateu-Martínez1Javier Cejudo2Juan-Carlos Pérez-González3Department of Health Psychology, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Elche, SpainDepartment of Health Psychology, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Elche, SpainDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Castilla–La Mancha, Ciudad Real, SpainEmotional Education Laboratory (EDUEMO Lab), Faculty of Education, National University of Distance Education (UNED), Madrid, SpainTrait Emotional intelligence (Trait EI) can be understood as a personality trait related to individual differences in recognition, processing, and the regulation of emotionally charged information. Trait EI has been considered a variable of great importance in determining psychosocial adjustment. However, most research on Trait EI has focused on adult and adolescent populations, while very few studies have explored its influence on children. The aim of this study was to analyze possible pathways into psychosocial adjustment in children by examining the combined effects of Trait EI and emotional and social problems. It also aimed to assess the possible mediating role of gender in this relationship. A total of 268 Spanish children participated in this study, ranging in age from 8 to 12 years (mean age = 10.09, SD = 1.32, 45.10% male). Selected measures were applied through a web-based survey called DetectaWeb. The regression and mediation/moderation analyses confirmed that psychosocial adjustment in children was determined by Trait EI directly and by emotional and social problems in an indirect way. Together, the three variables explained 46% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment, although Trait EI was the most powerful predictor (44%), demonstrating incremental validity over and above social and emotional problems. In addition, gender was shown to be a moderating variable between Trait EI and psychosocial adjustment; for girls specifically, lower Trait EI scores were a determinant of lower levels of psychosocial adjustment, regardless of emotional and social problems. It can be concluded that the identified pathways provide keys for emotional education interventions aimed at promoting psychosocial adjustment, well-being, and good mental health among children. Our findings support the buffer role of Trait EI against maladjustment risk in children, but more clearly in girls.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00507/fullemotional intelligencepsychosocial adjustmentsocial acceptance/rejectionchildhoodgenderemotional education |
| spellingShingle | Jose A. Piqueras Ornela Mateu-Martínez Javier Cejudo Juan-Carlos Pérez-González Pathways Into Psychosocial Adjustment in Children: Modeling the Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence, Social-Emotional Problems, and Gender Frontiers in Psychology emotional intelligence psychosocial adjustment social acceptance/rejection childhood gender emotional education |
| title | Pathways Into Psychosocial Adjustment in Children: Modeling the Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence, Social-Emotional Problems, and Gender |
| title_full | Pathways Into Psychosocial Adjustment in Children: Modeling the Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence, Social-Emotional Problems, and Gender |
| title_fullStr | Pathways Into Psychosocial Adjustment in Children: Modeling the Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence, Social-Emotional Problems, and Gender |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pathways Into Psychosocial Adjustment in Children: Modeling the Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence, Social-Emotional Problems, and Gender |
| title_short | Pathways Into Psychosocial Adjustment in Children: Modeling the Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence, Social-Emotional Problems, and Gender |
| title_sort | pathways into psychosocial adjustment in children modeling the effects of trait emotional intelligence social emotional problems and gender |
| topic | emotional intelligence psychosocial adjustment social acceptance/rejection childhood gender emotional education |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00507/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joseapiqueras pathwaysintopsychosocialadjustmentinchildrenmodelingtheeffectsoftraitemotionalintelligencesocialemotionalproblemsandgender AT ornelamateumartinez pathwaysintopsychosocialadjustmentinchildrenmodelingtheeffectsoftraitemotionalintelligencesocialemotionalproblemsandgender AT javiercejudo pathwaysintopsychosocialadjustmentinchildrenmodelingtheeffectsoftraitemotionalintelligencesocialemotionalproblemsandgender AT juancarlosperezgonzalez pathwaysintopsychosocialadjustmentinchildrenmodelingtheeffectsoftraitemotionalintelligencesocialemotionalproblemsandgender |