Emotional Intelligence, Social Competence, and Success in High School Students

• Main Author: Crick, Amanda
• Format: Others
• Published: TopSCHOLAR® 2002
• Subjects: Education; Psychology
• Online Access: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/649; http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1652&context=theses

The relationship between emotional intelligence, social competence, and success was investigated. Success was operationally defined as elected leadership within a school group, club, or organization. The study sample consisted of 31 males and 89 females ages fourteen to seventeen years (grades 9 through 11) from three counties in south-central Kentucky. Student participants were characterized as Leaders, Joiners, or Non-Joiners of school groups and were asked to complete the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (BarOn EQi:YV) (BarOn & Parker, 2000), which assessed emotional intelligence, and the Social Skills Rating System - Secondary Student Form (SSRS) (Gresham & Elliott, 1990), which provided an evaluation of social competence. Teachers of the students in the study were also asked to complete a Social Skills Rating System-Teacher Form. Results lent support to three of the four hypotheses. Female leaders exhibited higher than chance Total EQ scores, as well as higher scores on Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, and Adaptability factors than the standardization sample. Male leaders appeared to possess more ability within the domain of Adaptability than the standardization sample. Significant mean score-differences existed between the emotional intelligence scores of those identified as Leaders, Joiners, and Non-Joiners of groups. Emotional intelligence was not shown to increase with age, as no significant correlations emerged between emotional intelligence scores and age levels. Finally, teacher ratings of social skills were significantly higher for leaders than for Joiners and Non-Joiners of groups. Implications and suggestions for further research were discussed.