科研成果详情

Emotional intelligence, as the ability to manage emotions, is desirous for promotion in young people, who are likely to suffer from emotional disturbance. The promotion necessarily requires knowledge about environmental influences on emotional intelligence in the people. Such influences are likely to arise from school, social centers, and the community. This study of the influences employed a survey of 1,583 students of Grade 5 to Grade 10 in Hong Kong, China. Results show significant positive associations between emotional intelligence and academic achievement, discussion among classmates, interest class activity, attending traditional art performances, and hygiene in the community. Additionally controlling for the method artifacts of acquiescence and social desirability, nevertheless, revealed significant positive effects of classmate discussion and community hygiene and a significant negative effect of classmates’ quarrel on emotional intelligence. As such, academic achievement, interest class activity, traditional art performance attendance no longer displayed significant associations with emotional intelligence. These results imply the need for controlling for method artifacts in order to understand environmental influence on emotional intelligence. With the controlling, the study suggests advancing the social and physical environmental quality to safeguard the promotion of emotional intelligence in young people.