Investigation of the Relations between Emotional Intelligence, Empathy and Social Skill Level in Young Adults

Abstract

It was aimed to investigate the relationships between emotional intelligence, empathy and social skill level in young adults in this study. Total numbers of participated in the study including 169 women and 150 men aged between 18-39 are 319. Participants answered the A Social Skill Test-80, Empathy Scale and original form of Schutte Emotional Intelligence Test. In this study was investigated the relationships between emotional intelligence, empathy and social skills with different models. In this direction, seven models were created to explain the relationships between the variables. The created models were investigated by path analysis and determined that they showed different levels of compliance. It is the best fit indicator among the were used models that showed model the mediating role of empathy in the relationship between the social skill and emotional intelligence. The results obtained for the relationships between variables are discussed in line with the recent study results.

Keywords

• emotional empathy
• cognitive empathy
• emotional intelligence
• social skill
• empathy

Genç Yetişkinlerde Duygusal Zeka, Empati ve Sosyal Beceri Düzeyi Arası İlişkilerin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Bu çalışmada genç yetişkinlerde duygusal zeka, empati ve sosyal beceri düzeyi arasındaki ilişkilerin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmaya 18-39 yaş arasında 169 kadın ve 150 erkek olmak üzere toplam 319 kişi katılmıştır. Katılımcılar A Sosyal Beceri Ölçeği-80, Empati Ölçeği ve Asıl Form Schutte Duygusal Zeka Testi’ni cevaplamıştır. Çalışmada duygusal zeka, empati ve sosyal beceri arası ilişkiler farklı modeller ile incelenmiştir. Bu doğrultuda ele alınan değişkenler arasındaki ilişkileri açıklamaya yönelik yedi model oluşturulmuştur. Oluşturulan modeller yol analizi ile incelenmiş ve farklı düzeylerde uyum gösterdikleri belirlenmiştir. Sosyal beceri ile duygusal zeka arasındaki ilişkide empatinin aracı rolünü gösteren model belirtilen modeller içerisinde en iyi uyum gösterge değerleri veren model olarak yer aldığı görülmüştür. Değişkenler arası ilişkiler için elde edilen sonuçlar, yakın geçmişteki ilgili çalışma sonuçları doğrultusunda tartışılmıştır.

Keywords

• duygusal empati
• bilişsel empati
• duygusal zeka
• sosyal beceri
• empati

References

1. Adams, G. R. (1983). Social competence during adolescence: social sensitivity, locus of control, empathy, and peer popularity. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 12(3), 203-211.
2. Adams, G. R., Schvaneveldt, J. D., & Jensen, G. O. (1979). Sex, age and perceived competency as correlates of empathic ability in adolescence. Adolescence, 14(56), 811-818.
3. Baron-Cohen, S., & Wheelwright, S. (2004). The empathy quotient: an investigation of adults with asperger syndrome or high functioning autism and normal sex differences. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34(2), 163-175.
4. Bora, E., & Baysan, L. (2009). Empati Ölçeği-Türkçe formunun üniversite öğrencilerinde psikometrik özellikleri. Klinik Psikofarmakoloji Bülteni, 19(1), 39-47.
5. Cabello, R., Sorrel, M. A., Fernández-Pinto, I., Extremera, N., & Fernández-Berrocal, P. (2016). Age and gender differences in ability emotional intelligence in adults: a cross-sectional study. Developmental Psychology, 52(9), 1486-1492.
6. Caruso, D. R., Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (2002). Relation of an ability measure of emotional intelligence to personality. Journal of Personality Assessment, 79(2), 306-320.
7. Castillo, R., Salguero, J. M., Fernández-Berrocal, P., & Balluerka, N. (2013). Effects of an emotional intelligence intervention on aggression and empathy among adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 36(5), 883-892.
8. Clarke, M. J., Marks, A. D., & Lykins, A. D. (2016). Bridging the gap: the effect of gender normativity on differences in empathy and emotional intelligence. Journal of Gender Studies, 25(5), 522-539.

9. Davis, M. H. (1983). Measuring individual differences in empathy: evidence for a multidimensional approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44(1), 113-126.
10. Denton, K., & Zarbatany, L. (1996). Age differences in support processes in conversations between friends. Child Development, 67(4), 1360-1373.
11. Flynn, R. M., Ricker, A. A., Dolezal, C., Kunin, M., & Mellins, C. A. (2019). Residential summer camp for youth with special needs: a longitudinal approach to investigating differences in social skills. Children and Youth Services Review, 96, 354-363.
12. Friedman, H. S., & Riggio, R. E. (1981). Effect of individual differences in nonverbal expressiveness on transmission of emotion. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 6(2), 96-104.
13. Garaigordobil, M., & Peña, A. (2014). Intervención en las habilidades sociales: efectos en la inteligencia emocional y la conducta social. Psicología Conductual, 22(3), 551-567.
14. Grühn, D., Sharifian, N., & Chu, Q. (2016). The limits of a limited future time perspective in explaining age differences in emotional functioning. Psychology and Aging, 31(6), 583-593.
15. Ishak, N. M., Abidin, M. H. Z., & Bakar, A. Y. A. (2014). Dimensions of social skills and their relationship with empathy among gifted and talented students in Malaysia. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 750-753.
16. Kaelber, K. A., & Schwartz, R. C. (2014). Empathy and emotional intelligence among eastern and western counsellor trainees: a preliminary study. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 36(3), 274-286.
17. Khodabakhsh, M. R., & Besharat, M. A. (2011). Mediation effect of narcissism on the relationship between emotional intelligence and the quality of interpersonal relationships. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 30, 907-911.
18. Lawrence, E. J., Shaw, P., Baker, D., Baron-Cohen, S., & David, A. S. (2004). Measuring empathy: reliability and validity of the empathy quotient. Psychological Medicine, 34(5), 911-920.
19. Lopes, P. N., Brackett, M. A., Nezlek, J. B., Schütz, A., Sellin, I., & Salovey, P. (2004). Emotional intelligence and social interaction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30(8), 1018-1034.
20. Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In P. Salovey, & D. J. Sluyter (Eds.), Emotional development and emotional intelligence: educational implications (pp. 3-34). New York: Harper Collins.
21. Mayer, J. D., Caruso, D. R., & Salovey, P. (1999). Emotional intelligence meets traditional standards for an intelligence. Intelligence, 27(4), 267-298.
22. Mayer, J. D., Caruso, D. R., & Salovey, P. (2016). The ability model of emotional intelligence: principles and updates. Emotion Review, 8(4), 290-300.
23. Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (2008). Emotional intelligence: new ability or eclectic traits? American Psychologist, 63(6), 503-517.
24. Mestre, M. V., Samper, P., Frías, M. D., & Tur, A. M. (2009). Are women more empathetic than men? A longitudinal study in adolescence. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 12(1), 76-83.
25. Muncer, S. J., & Ling, J. (2006). Psychometric analysis of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) Scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 40(6), 1111-1119.
26. Mustaffa, S., Nasir, Z., Aziz, R., & Mahmood, M. N. (2013). Emotional intelligence, skills competency and personal development among counseling teachers. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 93, 2219-2223.
27. Petrovici, A., & Dobrescu, T. (2014). The role of emotional intelligence in building interpersonal communication skills. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 1405-1410.
28. Richter, D., & Kunzmann, U. (2011). Age differences in three facets of empathy: performance-based evidence. Psychology and Aging, 26(1), 60-70.
29. Riggio, R. E. (1986). Assessment of basic social skills. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(3), 649-660.
30. Riggio, R. E., Tucker, J., & Coffaro, D. (1989). Social skills and empathy. Personality and Individual Differences, 10(1), 93-99.
31. Salovey, P., & Grewal, D. (2005). The science of emotional intelligence. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(6), 281-285.
32. Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9(3), 185-211.
33. Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Bobik, C., Coston, T. D., Greeson, C., Jedlicka, C., …Wendorf, G. (2001). Emotional intelligence and interpersonal relations. The Journal of Social Psychology, 141(4), 523-536.
34. Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Hall, L. E., Haggerty, D. J., Cooper, J. T., Golden, C. J., Dornheim, L. (1998). Development and validation of a measure of emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 25(2), 167-177.
35. Shaffer, D. R., & Kipp, K. (2010). Developmental psychology: childhood and adolescence (8. ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
36. Sharma, S., Deller, J., Biswal, R., & Mandal, M. K. (2009). Emotional intelligence: factorial structure and construct validity across cultures. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 9(2), 217-236.
37. Stanley, S., & Bhuvaneswari, G. M. (2016). Reflective ability, empathy, and emotional intelligence in undergraduate social work students: a cross-sectional study from India. Social Work Education, 35(5), 560-575.
38. Tatar, A., Özdemir, H., Haşlak, F. D., Atsızelti, Ş., Özüdoğru, M. T., Çavuşoğlu, F., Çelikbaş, B., …Saltukoğlu, G. (2018). Yetişkinler için A Sosyal Beceri Ölçeği’nin geliştirilmesi ve psikometrik özelliklerinin incelenmesi. Akademik Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 6(68), 69-88.
39. Tatar, A., Saltukoğlu, G., Tok, S., & Bender, M. T. (2016). UKMH Duygusal Zeka Testinin Türkçeye uyarlanması ve psikometrik özelliklerinin incelenmesi. Anadolu Psikiyatri Dergisi, 17(1), 5-13.
40. Tatar, A., Tok, S., Bender, M. T. & Saltukoğlu, G. (2017). Asıl Form Schutte Duygusal Zeka Testinin Türkçeye çevirisi ve psikometrik özelliklerinin incelenmesi. Anadolu Psikiyatri Dergisi, 18(2), 139-146.
41. Tsaousis, I., & Kazi, S. (2013). Factorial invariance and latent mean differences of scores on trait emotional intelligence across gender and age. Personality and Individual Differences, 54(2), 169-173.
42. Wieck, C., & Kunzmann, U. (2015). Age differences in empathy: multidirectional and context-dependent. Psychology and Aging, 30(2), 407-419.
43. Yip, J. A., & Martin, R. A. (2006). Sense of humor, emotional intelligence, and social competence. Journal of Research in Personality, 40(6), 1202-1208.
44. Zhaoyang, R., Sliwinski, M. J., Martire, L. M., & Smyth, J. M. (2018). Age differences in adults’ daily social interactions: an ecological momentary assessment study. Psychology and Aging, 33(4), 607-618.
45. Zorza, J. P., Marino, J., de Lemus, S., & Mesas, A. A. (2013). Academic performance and social competence of adolescents: predictions based on effortful control and empathy. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 16, 1-12.