Research articleOpen accessVol. 11, Issue 8, July 2022
- Published
- 31 July 2022
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
How to cite
Neha Tripathi (2022). Emotional Intelligence and Academic Stress among College Students. International Journal for Research in Education, 11(8).
Abstract
Academic stress is one of the most pervasive psychological burdens faced by college students worldwide, affecting mental health, persistence, and academic performance. The transition to higher education introduces new academic rigor, social realignments, financial demands, and identity work that can overload students’ cognitive and emotional coping resources. Emotional Intelligence (EI)—the ability to perceive, understand, regulate, and strategically use emotion in oneself and others—has been proposed as a modifiable protective asset that may buffer the negative impact of academic stress. Yet, comparative data across EI dimensions and specific academic stress domains remain underdeveloped in student populations outside large, Western samples. This study investigated the relationship between EI and academic stress in a cross‑sectional survey of 200 undergraduate college students representing multiple disciplines at a metropolitan university. Instruments included the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) to capture four EI domains (Self‑Emotion Appraisal, Others’ Emotion Appraisal, Use of Emotion, Regulation of Emotion) and the Perceived Academic Stress Scale (PASS) to assess workload, exam pressure, expectation stress, and perceived academic competence strain. Supplementary behavioral data (sleep hours, study hours, part‑time work) and demographics (gender, academic year, discipline) were collected to examine potential confounds.
Keywords: Emotional Intelligence, Academic Stress, College Students, Emotion Regulation, Higher Education Well‑Being
References
- Bar‑On, R. (1997). Bar‑On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ‑i): Technical manual. Multi‑Health Systems.
- Ciarrochi, J., Chan, A. Y. C., & Caputi, P. (2000). A critical evaluation of the emotional intelligence construct. Personality and Individual Differences, 28(3), 539–561. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00119-1
- Clarke, I., & Morley, L. (2022). Sleep, study load, and stress in STEM majors: Interacting predictors of academic outcomes. Higher Education Research & Development, 41(5), 1012–1030. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2021.1967854
- Extremera, N., & Fernández‑Berrocal, P. (2006). Emotional intelligence as predictor of mental, social, and physical health in university students. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 9(1), 45–51. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1138741600005965
- Fried, L., & Chapman, E. (2012). Perceived academic control and academic emotions: A meta‑analytic review. Educational Psychology Review, 24(4), 555–578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-012-9195-3
- Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Bantam Books.
- Jimenez, C., Navia‑Osorio, P., & Diaz, C. (2010). Stress and health in nursing students: The mediating role of emotional intelligence. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(4), 1006–1015. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05258.x
- Kumar, S., & Bhandari, P. (2021). Emotional intelligence, academic stress, and coping among Indian undergraduates. Asian Journal of Education and Development, 11(3), 87–104.
- Lane, A. M., Saklofske, D. H., Austin, E. J., & Matthews, G. (2004). Is trait emotional intelligence distinct from personality? Personality and Individual Differences, 36(8), 1937–1950. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2003.12.003
- MacCann, C., Jiang, Y., Brown, L. E. R., Double, K. S., Bucich, M., & Minbashian, A. (2020). Emotional intelligence predicts academic performance: A meta‑analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 146(2), 150–186. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000219
- Misra, R., & Castillo, L. G. (2004). Academic stress among college students: Comparison of American and international students. International Journal of Stress Management, 11(2), 132–148. https://doi.org/10.1037/1072-5245.11.2.132
- Parker, J. D. A., Hogan, M. J., Eastabrook, J. M., Oke, A., & Wood, L. M. (2006). Emotional intelligence and student retention: Predicting the successful transition from high school to university. Personality and Individual Differences, 41(7), 1329–1336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2006.04.022
- Petrides, K. V., Furnham, A., & Frederickson, N. (2004). Emotional intelligence and academic performance. Educational Psychology, 24(4), 449–457. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144341042000035778
- Robotham, D., & Julian, C. (2006). Stress and the higher education student: A critical review. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 30(2), 107–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098770600617513
- Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9(3), 185–211. https://doi.org/10.2190/DUGG-P24E-52WK-6CDG
- Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., & Bhullar, N. (2009). The assessing emotions scale. In C. Stough, D. H. Saklofske, & J. D. A. Parker (Eds.), Assessing emotional intelligence (pp. 119–134). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-88370-0_7
- Shaikh, S., & Thomas, L. (2019). Academic stress and emotion regulation strategies in university students: Implications for counseling. International Journal of Educational Psychology, 8(2), 125–142. https://doi.org/10.17583/ijep.2019.4123
- Wong, C. S., & Law, K. S. (2002). The effects of leader and follower emotional intelligence on performance and attitudes. The Leadership Quarterly, 13(3), 243–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1048-9843(02)00099-1
- Yusoff, M. S. B. (2011). The relationship between study skills, academic workload, stress, and academic performance in medical students. Education in Medicine Journal, 3(2), e1–e6. https://doi.org/10.5959/eimj.v3i2.107
How to cite
Neha Tripathi (2022). Emotional Intelligence and Academic Stress among College Students. International Journal for Research in Education, 11(8).
Licence
This article is open access, published under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Copyright remains with the authors.
If the issue persists, you can use the old publisher details where you get it published.