Address for Correspondence:
Dr. Beena Johnson, MBBS, DCH, MD, PhD, Department of Child
Guidance, Baby Memorial Hospital, Kozhikode, Kerala, India.
Email: jiacam@gmail.com
Abstract
Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, appraise
and control one's emotions. It is the ability to motivate
oneself even in stressful situations, to control impulsive
behaviour and to manage feelings in perfect way. Emotional
intelligence can be considered as a set of skills which
contribute to the proper assessment and regulation of
emotions, and the utilization of feelings for best achievement
in academics, profession and life. Emotional Intelligence is
an important predictor of success in life and has significant
role in stress management and academic achievement. Students
who are high academic performers, usually have higher
emotional intelligence scores compared with children with
scholastic backwardness. Individuals with high emotional
intelligence will correctly understand emotional issues,
manage stressful situations successfully and regulate emotions
in the best way. They are balanced, empathetic, self-aware and
sociable. They have very strong will-power and are
intrinsically motivated. Emotional intelligence is also a
crucial factor needed for successful leadership. It has
significant role in academic and organizational success.
Key Words: Emotional
Intelligence, Academic Achievement, Leadership
Introduction
Research in the field of emotional intelligence (EI) has
increased substantially since the first introduction of this
term in scientific literature in 1990 [1]. Emotional
Intelligence is the ability to perceive and control the
emotions and it is associated with good personality
development [2]. EI includes perceiving, processing,
regulating and managing the emotions [3]. Individuals with
high EI have greater skills to carry out the information
processing about emotions compared to others. Self-esteem and
optimism are high in these individuals [4].
They can understand emotional information in the best way and
apply that understanding for effective decision making and
problem solving in life [5]. They will be also be able to
carry out perfect reasoning about emotions and use the
emotional knowledge to enhance their thinking [6].
EI has positive correlation with the quality of social
interaction [7]. Self-awareness, self-regulation, social
skills, empathy and motivation are the important components of
EI. These skills have significant role in the academic
performance of students. Intrinsic motivation is very
important for success in career and life. These competencies
will definitely help individuals to cope with environmental
demands and stressors [8].
Those with high EI will be able to make the emotions work to
their own advantage. These individuals can use the emotions in
the best way for guiding behaviour and for thinking in
beneficial ways. They are open-minded and are good listeners.
EI is a critically important factor for effective leadership
and team performance [9, 10].
Emotional Intelligence and Exam Stress Management
Anxiety and stress related to exams will negatively affect the
academic achievement of children. Students differ in how they
appraise the stress, related to examinations. The exam stress
can be experienced as motivating by interpreting the anxiety
as facilitative [11].
EI has very important role in exam stress management. Higher
EI contribute to better stress management [3]. Academic
performance varies widely even among students with high
intellectual capacity. There are several factors contributing
to academic achievement. Motivational beliefs and emotions
have significant impact on academic achievement of students.
Good academic performance is related to intrinsic motivation
and proper time management [12]. Students with inadequate
skills for self-regulation usually develop intrapersonal
problems. Those with intrapersonal problems usually experience
significant stress related to internal conflicts and excessive
anxiety can be debilitating [13].
Students with low empathy will have difficulty in
interpersonal interactions with other students and also with
their teachers. This in turn can lead to deterioration in
academic performance. Strong interpersonal and communication
skills are essential for students especially in the field of
medical education. Interpersonal skills can be increased
through emotional intelligence training [8]. Individuals with
high EI will be able to motivate and endure themselves in
stressful situations [14]. By increasing the emotional
intelligence, exhaustion related to exams can be reduced and
academic performance can be improved. Children with academic
resilience will be able to successfully deal with challenges
in the course of school life especially the exam pressure and
difficult schoolwork [15].
Emotional Intelligence and Academic Performance
Personality traits and increased self-esteem are proved to be
predictors of academic achievement [16]. Individuals with
higher emotional intelligence usually develop good
interpersonal relationship among peers [17]. Results of a
study conducted in Spain analysing 2182 secondary school
students aged between 12 and 18 years, showed that emotional
intelligence has positive relationship with well-being of
students [18]. The contribution of emotional intelligence in
promoting well-being of students was also proved in a study
conducted in Italy on high school students [19].
Emotional Intelligence is a combination of stable behavioral
and personality traits. The increased social competence of
individuals with high EI can facilitate cognitive and
intellectual development which in turn lead to better academic
performance [6].
EI is a leading factor which can influence various aspects of
human life and there is significant positive relationship
between emotional intelligence and academic achievement.
Several international studies have proved that emotional
intelligence has an important role in the academic success of
students [20-23]. Students with high EI can have
cognitive-based performance much above the level attributable
to general intelligence [24]. High-grade academic performers
have higher EI scores compared to low-grade academic
performers. These students will accurately perceive emotions,
understand emotional issues and manage emotions in perfect way
[25]. Mavroveli S and Sanchez-Ruiz MJ investigated the
associations between trait EI and scholastic performance in
reading, writing, and maths in 565 primary school children.
They found modest associations between trait EI and academic
achievement [26]. Emotional Intelligence has a crucial role in
academic success. Hence EI of students should be increased
through scientific guidance [27,28]. Students need training
for improving the emotional intelligence and emotional skill
development can lead to better academic performance [21, 22].
Emotional Intelligence and Leadership
Emotional intelligence is a predictor of successful leadership
[29]. Developing skills for leadership and teamwork are needed
for providing high-quality services in the modern health care
field [30]. Leaders in the field of public health require
specific EI skills to deal with the complex demands of health
care environment. A study conducted among Master of European
Public Health (MEPH) students and graduates at Maastricht
University, demonstrated a positive association between public
health specific competencies and attributes of emotional
intelligence [31]. Leaders with high EI will be capable of
using their positive emotions to provide major progress in the
management of their organization. These leaders who are high
on emotional intelligence, can maintain a work climate
supportive of creativity, by having good interpersonal
relationship [32]. Good working climate will definitely help
in establishing good relationship with the customers in any
organization [33].
EI is positively associated with job performance [34, 35]. EI
is a crucial factor for effective leadership and team
performance [36-39]. The Sine Qua Non of effective leadership
is emotional intelligence [40].
Conclusion
Emotional intelligence is an extremely important factor for
academic and organizational success. EI is also a key
leadership skill. The most effective leaders have high degree
of emotional intelligence. They will be ambitious, assertive,
balanced, empathetic, enthusiastic, gracious, meticulous,
motivated, predictable, self-aware, sociable, stable,
strong-willed and systematic. Through scientific guidance, the
emotional intelligence of children can be increased. By
improving the emotional intelligence of students, we can lead
them towards better academic performance and best career. The
students who develop high emotional intelligence will have
positive attitude, greater adaptability in stressful
situations, improved interpersonal relationships and increased
orientation towards positive values, which will definitely
help them to become successful not only in exams, but also in
their future profession and life.
References
1. Fernandez-Berrocal P, Extremera N. Emotional intelligence:
a theoretical and empirical review of its first 15 years of
history. Psicothema. 2006;18 Suppl:7-12.
2. Kemp AH, Cooper NJ, Hermens G, Gordon E, Bryant R, Williams
LM. Toward an integrated profile of emotional intelligence:
introducing a brief measure. J Integr Neurosci. 2005
Mar;4(1):41-61.
3. Arora S, Ashrafian H, Davis R, Athanasiou T, Darzi A,
Sevdalis N. Emotional intelligence in medicine: a systematic
review through the context of the ACGME competencies. Med
Educ. 2010;44(8):749-64.
4. Mayer JD, Salovey P, Caruso DR. Emotional intelligence: new
ability or eclectic traits? Am Psychol. 2008;63(6):503-17.
5. Pisner DA, Smith R, Alkozei A, Klimova A, Killgore WD.
Highways of the emotional intellect: white matter
microstructural correlates of an ability-based measure of
emotional intelligence. Soc Neurosci. 2016 May 9:1-15.
6. Mayer JD, Roberts RD, Barsade SG. Human abilities:
emotional intelligence. Annu Rev Psychol. 2008;59:507-36.
7. Reis DL, Brackett MA, Shamosh NA, Kiehl KA, Salovey P, Gray
JR. Emotional Intelligence predicts individual differences in
social exchange reasoning. Neuroimage. 2007;35(3):1385-91.
8. Johnson DR. Emotional intelligence as a crucial component
to medical education. Int J Med Educ. 2015 6(6):179-83.
9. Wong CS, Law KS. The effects of leader and follower
emotional intelligence on performance and attitude: An
exploratory study. Leadersh Q. 2002;13:243-74.
10. Melita PL, Ceasar D, Ferris GR, Anthony PA, Ronald BM.
Emotional intelligence, leadership effectiveness, and team
outcomes. Int J Organ Anal. 2003;11:21-40.
11. Strack J, Esteves F. Exams? Why worry? Interpreting
anxiety as facilitative and stress appraisals. Anxiety Stress
Coping. 2015;28(2):205-14.
12. Abdulghani HM, Al-Drees AA, Khalil MS, Ahmad F,
Ponnamperuma GG, Amin Z. What factors determine academic
achievement in high achieving undergraduate medical students?
A qualitative study. Med Teach. 2014 Apr;36 Suppl
1:S43-8.
13. Hendren RL. Predicting success and failure of medical
students at risk for dismissal. J Med Educ. 1988;63:596-602.4.
14. Goleman D, Sutherland S. Emotional intelligence: Why it
can matter more than IQ. Nature. 1996;379:34.
15. Martin AJ, Marsh HW. Academic buoyancy: Towards an
understanding of students' everyday academic resilience. J Sch
Psychol. 2008;46(1):53-83.
16. Caprara GV1, Vecchione M, Alessandri G, Gerbino M,
Barbaranelli C. The contribution of personality traits and
self-efficacy beliefs to academic achievement: a longitudinal
study. Br J Educ Psychol. 2011;81(Pt 1):78-96.
17. Brackett MA, Rivers SE, Salovey P. Emotional Intelligence:
Implications for Personal, Social, Academic, and Workplace
Success. Soc Personal Psychol Compass. 2011;5:88-103.
18. Balluerka N, Gorostiaga A, Alonso-Arbiol I, Aritzeta A.
Peer attachment and class emotional intelligence as predictors
of adolescents' psychological well-being: A multilevel
approach. J Adolesc. 2016 Sep 2;53:1-9.
19. Di Fabio A, Kenny ME. Promoting Well-Being: The
Contribution of Emotional Intelligence. Front Psychol. 2016
Aug 17;7:1182.
20. Humphrey N, Curran A, Morris E, Farrell P, Woods K.
Emotional Intelligence and Education: A critical review.
Educational Psychology. 2007;27:235-254.
21. Chew BH, Zain AM, Hassan F. Emotional intelligence and
academic performance in first and final year medical students:
a cross-sectional study. BMC Med Educ. 2013;13:44.
22. Gorgich EA, Barfroshan S, Ghoreishi G, Balouchi A,
Nastizaie N, Arbabisarjou A. The Association of Self-Assessed
Emotional Intelligence with Academic Achievement and General
Health among Students of Medical Sciences. Glob J Health Sci.
2016;8(12):55776.
23. Moslehi M, Samouei R, Tayebani T, Kolahduz S. A study of
the academic performance of medical students in the
comprehensive examination of the basic sciences according to
the indices of emotional intelligence and educational status.
J Educ Health Promot. 2015;4:66.
24. Romanelli F, Cain J, Smith KM. Emotional intelligence as a
predictor of academic and/or professional success. Am J Pharm
Educ. 2006;70(3):69
25. Hasegawa Y, Ninomiya K, Fujii K, Sekimoto T. Emotional
intelligence score and performance of dental undergraduates.
Odontology. 2016;104(3):397-401.
26. Mavroveli S, Sanchez-Ruiz MJ. Trait emotional intelligence
influences on academic achievement and school behaviour. Br J
Educ Psychol. 2011;81(Pt 1):112-34.
27. Gharetepeh A, Safari Y, Pashaei , Razaei M, Bagher Kajbaf
M. Emotional intelligence as a predictor of self-efficacy
among students with different levels of academic achievement
at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. J Adv Med Educ
Prof. 2015;3(2):50-5.
28. Kumar A, Puranik MP, Sowmya KR. Association Between Dental
Students' Emotional Intelligence and Academic Performance: A
Study at Six Dental Colleges in India. J Dent Educ.
2016;80(5):526-32.
29. Zakariasen K1, Victoroff KZ. Leaders and emotional
intelligence: a view from those who follow. Healthc Manage
Forum. 2012;25(2):86-90.
30. O'Connell MT, Pascoe JM. Undergraduate medical education
for the 21st century: leadership and teamwork. Fam Med. 2004
Jan;36 Suppl:S51-6.
31. Czabanowska K1, Malho A, Schroder-Back P, Popa D, Burazeri
G. Do we develop public health leaders? - association between
public health competencies and emotional intelligence: a
cross-sectional study. BMC Med Educ. 2014;14:83.
32. Zhou J, George JM. Awakening employee creativity: The role
of leader emotional intelligence. Leadersh Q. 2003;14:545-68.
33. O'Boyle EH, Ronald HH, Jeffrey MP, Thomas HH, Paul AS. The
relation between emotional intelligence and job performance: A
meta-analysis. J Organ Behav. 2011;32:788-818.
34. Carmeli A. The relationship between emotional intelligence
and work attitudes, behavior and outcomes: An examination
among senior managers. J Manage Psychol. 2003;18:788-813.
35. Lyons JB, Schneider TR. The influence of emotional
intelligence on performance. Pers Individ Dif.
2005;39:693-703.
36. Jordan PJ, Ashkanasy NM, Charmine EJ, Gregory SH.
Workgroup Emotional Intelligence. Scale development and
relationship to team process effectiveness and goal focus. Hum
Resour Manage Rev. 2002;12:195-214.
37. Hayashi A, Ewert A. Outdoor leaders' emotional
intelligence and transformational leadership. J Experiential
Educ. 2006;28:222-42.
38. Eicher D. Essential executive skills for the future:
Emotional intelligence. Futurics. 2003;27:104-35.
39. Offermann LR, Bailey JR, Vasilopoulos NL, Seal C, Sass M.
The relative contribution of emotional competence and
cognitive ability to individual and team performance. Hum
Perf. 2004;17:219-43.
40. Rao PR. Emotional intelligence: the Sine Qua Non for a
clinical leadership toolbox. J Commun Disord.
2006;39(4):310-9.