Emotional Intelligence and Academic Stress among College Students

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Neha Tripathi

Independent Researcher

Uttar Pradesh, India

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

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