Influence of the perceived emotional intelligence on the coping of the daily stress

Abstract

Background and aims: The purpose of the present study is to investigate the influence of each perceived emotional intelligence dimension on coping strategies in the face of daily stress. Material and methods: The sample was comprised of 50 people aged 18 to 25 years. PEI was assessed through the TMMS-24 that evaluates three dimensions: emotional attention, emotional clarity and emotional repair. A momentary ecological assessment was carried out in which the daily stressors were recorded with the DISE; the affective state with the PANAS; and the coping with the daily stress using the MoCope scale. The assessment lasted four days. Four types of coping were evaluated: Problem-focused coping, seeking social support, acceptance of emotions, and rejection. The design was quasi-experimental with repeated measures. The data were analysed by multiple regressions. Results: The results showed that: a) People with high emotional attention used more acceptance of emotions and seeking social support; b) people with high emotional clarity used more problem-focused coping and acceptance of emotions but less rejection; and c) people with high emotional repair used more problem-focused coping and seeking social support but less rejection. Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that PEI strengthens emotional well-being because it promotes adaptive coping ability of daily stress.