Games, Natalie (2008) The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Coping as Predictors of School Performance. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The main aim of this study was to explore the relationship between performancebased emotional intelligence (STEM-C) and school performance. Furthermore, a second aim was to examine the effect of emotional intelligence and coping as potential predictors of school performance. Secondary to these two main aims was the examination of associations between emotional intelligence to life satisfaction and task engagement. To capture these variables, the Educational Testing Services in the United States of America developed a questionnaire that was analysed using both principal components analysis and principal axis factor analysis. 382 participants (194 males and 186 females) completed the questionnaire with 371 participants used for hypotheses testing. Simple bivariate correlations revealed that emotional intelligence was significantly correlated with all scales except the avoidance-focused coping and the perfectionism subscales. School performance was significantly correlated with all scales except the emotion-focused coping and engagement subscales. Hierarchical multiple regression indicated that of the eight variables (emotional intelligence, avoidance-focused coping, problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, industriousness achievement striving, perfectionism achievement striving, distraction and engagement flow states) hypothesised to predict school performance when positive and negative school feelings were controlled, two showed significant main effects: problem-focused coping and industriousness achievement striving. As emotional intelligence did not directly contribute to school performance, a series of regression analyses were run. The effect of emotional intelligence on school performance was partially mediated by problem-focused coping.
The findings of this study indicate that emotional intelligence and coping need to be considered by educationalists when developing programmes to improve school performance. Future research should focus on the interactions between these variables and additional variables (such as delinquency, school adjustment issues and other personality constructs) and performance-based school performance measures. It is also suggested that development of supplementary objective situational measures of EI, validation and psychometric properties of EI measures be an area for future research. It might also be valuable to develop and validate performance-based questionnaires including life satisfaction.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Gerry Fogarty |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 18 Nov 2025 23:27 |
| Last Modified: | 18 Nov 2025 23:27 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52335 |
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