Emotional Intelligence and Adjustment: An Empirical Survey

Abstract

Education, as a means of human development, helps in the process of personality development, behavior modification and character formation.It helps to develop an ability to put the ideas and wisdom of thoughts into practice.Human development undergoes varied stages of development, and each stage brings specific changes and modifications to an individual's physical, intellectual, social and emotional structure.Emotional development concerns the emotions and feelings that work as a driving force of human personality. Emotions are an essential constituent of human personality that can be observed and reflected in physical and behavioral responses, and consecutively emotional intelligence is an ability to control emotions with adequate expressions.Emotional stability and control may lead to a better adjustment of an individual to immediate surroundings.Emotional intelligence and adjustment are prerequisites to cope with life's challenges. Thus, the study aims to explore students' level of emotional intelligence and adjustment at the secondary level. It also helps to conceptualize the correlation between emotional intelligence and adjustment of students at secondary level. Sample of the study comprised 56 students studying in varied academic streams. Emotional Intelligence Scale by S.K Mangal & Shubhra Mangal and Adjustment Inventory for School Students by A.K.P Sinha & R.P. Singh was used to collect the data. The study's findings reveal that a maximum number of students are emotionally intelligent and well-adjusted but, significant number of students exhibited a low level of emotional intelligence, and adjustment should be the area of concern. The study also indicates that boys and girls differ in terms of their emotional intelligence and adjustment. Girls at secondary level seem to reflect higher levels of emotional intelligence and adjustment compared to boys. The study's findings also revealed a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and adjustment level of secondary school students.