Emotional intelligence, indirect self-destructiveness and gender

Abstract

Emotional intelligence may beneficially affect human life and psychological and social functioning, whereas indirect self-destructiveness exerts a rather adverse impact thereon. The aim of this study was to synthesise the results of research on possible relationships between emotional intelligence and indirect self-destructiveness, emotional intelligence dimensions and indirect self-destructiveness categories, as well as the gender differentiation of relationships between particular dimensions of emotional intelligence and the categories of indirect self-destructiveness. A population of 260 individuals (130 females and 130 males) aged 20–30 years (mean age of 24.5 years) was assessed using INTE, i.e. the Polish version of the Assessing Emotions Scale (AES) and the Polish version of Chronic Self-Destructiveness Scale (CS-DS). The level of emotional intelligence differentiated the intensity of indirect self-destructiveness and vice versa. Emotional intelligence and its factors showed many significant, mainly negative, correlations with indirect self-destructiveness and its categories. Relationships between particular dimensions of emotional intelligence and categories of self-destructiveness differed between women and men. One of the crucial differences was the association between the ability to recognise emotions and transgression. In general, low emotional intelligence can be said to correlate with poor psychological and social functioning, which in turn is associated with indirect self-destructiveness and its categories. It seems advisable to utilise emotional intelligence in the prophylactic and therapeutic work with those suffering from various types of disorders, especially the indirect self-destructiveness syndrome. Knowledge on the differentiation of the said relationships may help properly target prophylactic and therapeutic interventions, adjusting them to a given gender.