Emotional Intelligence Competencies amongst undergraduate university youth at a Higher
Education Institution is one of the areas less ventured upon. Gardner (1983; 1991) reported
that business-related graduate programmes focused primarily on indicators of individual
competence such as logical and linguistic intelligence, with less attention being given to
spatial, interpersonal and naturalist forms of intelligence. Later research reported increased
calls from industry to make curricula more relevant to `today's global workplace' through
improved instruction in communication, leadership, as well as intrapersonal and interpersonal
skills (Cherniss 1999; Doria, Rozanski and Cohen, 2003; Jaeger 2003; Myers and Tucker
2005). Lately, Daniel Goleman's research on emotional intelligence as a predictor of work
performance has emerged (Goleman 1998, 2000; Weisinger, 1998) and continues to be highly
influential. The traditional approach by educationists, however, has been to focus on logical
and linguistic intelligence. This view have been challenged by many studies recently where
researchers are beginning to argue that interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies and
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) may be more important for success. Educational institutions
have traditionally focussed primarily on logical and linguistic intelligence, with less attention
given to other types of intelligence. Yet many researchers are beginning to argue that
intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies, or emotional intelligence, may be more
important for success in life than logical or linguistic intelligence (Tucker, Sojka, Barone &
McCarthy, 2000). Though the concept of emotional intelligence was first introduced in
organizations, its relevance made the concept an inevitable concept of consideration in the
educational sector too. Developing emotional intelligence skills amongst youth is very
important because it can positively affect academic achievement not only during the session
they are taught, but in subsequent years as well (Elias, Brune, Butler, Blum & Schumler,
1997). According to Caruso, Mayer and Salovey (2002), emotional intelligence skills and
knowledge can be developed and learned and it matters most in times of change. Emotional
intelligence is an ability to recognize one„s own feeling and those of others, for motivating
self as well as one„s relationship with others. Studies (e.g. Ediger, 1997; Parker,
Summerfeldt, Hogan & Majeski 2004)) have shown that the acquisition of emotional
intelligence skills can significantly contribute to positive thinking in students and increase
their ability to concentrate for a long time. The present research was thereby undertaken with
the main aim of investigating the emotional intelligence competencies by the youth.
Descriptive research design was taken up with questionnaire as a tool for the present
The effect of emotional intelligence on interpersonal skills and peer relationships in school maladjusted adolescents
