Procedia

Social and
Behavioral
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2011) 000000
Sciences
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 30 (2011) 944 948 www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

WCPCG-2011

Relation between emotional intelligence and behavioral

symptoms in delinquent adolescents

Ali Akbar Haddadi Koohsara, Bagher Ghobary Bonab*

a
University of Tehran, Faculty of Psychology&Education, Ale Ahmad Ave, Tehran,P.O.Box.14155-6456, Iran
b
University of Tehran, Faculty of Psychology&Education, Ale Ahmad Ave, Tehran,P.O.Box.14155-6456, Iran

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and behavioral symptoms in deliquent adolescents. In this
study 88 adolescents from Remdial and Training Institute of delinquent adolescents voluntarily were selected. These adolescents
completed measures of Trait Meta-Mood Scale ( Salovey et al., 1995 ), and Revised Symptom Checklist90-R ( Derogatis, 1973 ).
Analysis of data with utilization of multiple regression analysis revealed that behavioral symptoms of deliquent adolescents can
be predicted from their emotional intelligence. Moreover, data revealed that deliquent adolecents with higher in emotional
intelligence were lower in behavioral symptoms. Theoretical implications as well as practical applications of these findings are
illustracted in the original paper.
2011
2011Published
Elsevierby Elsevier
Ltd. AllLtd.rights reserved.
Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the 2nd World Conference on Psychology, Counselling and Guidance.

Keywords: Emotional Intelligence; Behavioral Symptoms; Delinquent Adolescents; Remedial and Training Institute; Iran

1. Introduction

Emotional intelligence consists of interaction between emotion and cognition that leads to adaptive functioning
(e.g., Salovey & Grewal, 2005). Adaptive functioning increases mental and psychological flourishing; moreover,
adaptive functioning decreases mental and physical illness. The following components in emotional intelligence are
observed: (a) perception of emotion in self and others, (b) using emotion for decision making and problem solving,
(c) understanding emotions, and (d) regulating emotions in self and others (Salovey & Mayer, 1990; Mayer &
Salovey, 1997). Bar-on (2000) believed that emotional intelligence consisted of emotional self- awareness as well as
various skills stem from effective use or regulation of emotions, such as effective interpersonal relationships,
problem solving, and stress tolerance. Even though, there are competing theories (trait vs. abilities) in explaining the
nature of emotional intelligence, adaptive functioning of the emotional intelligence has been acknowledged in both.
Awareness of emotions or using a set of skills that lead to effective communication and a reinforcing interpersonal
relation are compatible with health and adjustment.
Studies indicated that overall emotional intelligence has promise as a predictor of various lives outcomes
including mental and physical health (Van Rooy & Viswesvaran, 2004). Currently there is a substantial research

* Ali Akbar Haddadi Koohsar. Tel.: +98-912-695-6577; fax: +98-21-882-54734

E-mail address: yamola280@yahoo.com (A.A Haddadi Koohsar), bghobari@ut.ac.ir (B.Ghobary Bonab).

1877-0428 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the 2nd World Conference on Psychology, Counselling and Guidance.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.183
 Ali Akbar Haddadi
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Koohsar / Procedia-Social
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studies indicates relationship between emotional intelligence and mental health functioning. The adaptive
perception, use of emotion to enhance cognition, understanding emotion, and regulating of emotion may contribute
to mental and physical health in various ways. Mathews, Zeidner and Roberts (2002) mentioned that levels of
emotional intelligence may have implications for mental disorders. Mood and anxiety disorders are examples of
disorders that have maladaptive emotional state as core symptoms (Mathews et al., 2002) the better perception
understanding, and management of emotions of those with higher emotional intelligence may prevent development
of maladaptive emotional states associated with mood and anxiety disorders. Studies has shown that individuals with
a higher emotional intelligence have more positive mood and are better able to repair mood after a negative mood
induction (Schutte et al., 2002)
In addition to the adaptive perception and intelligent use of emotion that may contribute to mental and physical
health Lack of awareness of emotion and inability to manage emotions are key symptoms that may contribute to
some personality disorders and impulse control disorders (Matthews et al., 2002). Schutte and associates (2002)
found a link between lower emotional intelligence lake of awareness of emotional process and impulse control
problems.
Schutte and associates (1998) also found a negative relation between emotional intelligence and alexithymia.
Studies (Schutte et al., 2002) supported positive relation between emotional intelligence and impuls control.
In spite of the strong grounds for predicting that higher emotional intelligence would be related to better mental
health under certain circumstances higher emotional intelligence may have maladaptive consequences. Petrides and
Furnham (2003) found that individuals with a higher emotional intelligence reacted more strongly to mood
induction procedures including negative reactions to mood-related stimuli might lead to a greater distress under
adverse circumstances in some individuals. In general emotional intelligence is linked with aspect of better psycho-
social functioning (e.g., Brown & Schutte, 2006; Salovery & Grewal, 2005; Schutte et al., 1998; Schutte et al.,
2001) including intrapersonal factors such as greater optimism, a better social relationships, more social support and
more satisfaction with social support (Brown & Schutte, 2006) that may sever as buffers to physical illness. Further
more, those with higher emotional intelligence might be better able to follow through on commitments to health
behavior and show a better medical compliance.
Moreover, researchers discovered that components of emotional intelligence are negative related to associated
psychological symptoms and distresses (Dulewicz et al., 2003; Tsaousis & Nikolaou, 2005; Thompson et al., 2007;
Lane & Schwartz, 1987 ). Studies likewise show that emotional intelligence is related to the general health, well
being, self- control, sensation seeking, social abilities, and being humorous (Greven et al., 2008., Schuttle et al.,
2007), Positive and negative affect (Rode et al., 2008), Coping styles and internal locus of control (Saklofske et al.,
2007), anxiety, disappointment, learned helplessness and depression (Ferandez- Berrocal, et al., 2006; Slaki &
Cartwright, 2002).
Although research finding show that quality of emotional intelligence is related to behavioural symptoms in
delinquent adolescents, most of these investigations have been conducted in the United States and European countries.
Due to the child raring style in Islamic countries, these variables may show different pattern of associations in these
countries. Iran also is one of Islamic countries predominantly with a Shia Muslim community in which cultural
practices influences on child raring style.
Since people in Iran are different from Americans and European countries in terms of their cultural and religious
backgrounds, investigating the relation of these constructs in individuals who live in Iran is necessary. This study
fills the existing gap in the area.

2. Method

2.1. Participants

Population in the current study was consisted of Remedial and Training Institute of delinquent adolescents in Iran.
An accessible sampling procedure was utilized in this study and 88 delinquent adolescents between 13-25 years
were selected as a sample. After preparation of assessment devices, questionnaires were administered on delinquent
adolescents by a trained research assistant. Permission from the staff members was sought to distribute
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questionnaires at the Remedial and Training Institute of delinquent. All instructors that we contacted had a good
cooperation. In general 88 individuals completed the questionnaires.

2.2. Measures

2.2.1. Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS; Salovey et al., 1995).

We used the Farsi version of the TMMS (Haddadi Koohsar, 2010). This instrument is made up of 30 items and
makes an index of the levels of perceived EI. Respondents are asked to rate their degree of agreement on each of the
items on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The scale includes there
sub factors: Attention to ones feelings, Clearness of emotions clarity. and mood repair attention to fallings,
measured by first 13 items, shows the degree to which people behavior they pay attention to their felling (i.e.," I
think about my mood constantly)11 items in this measure assesses to the clarity of emotion (i.e.,I frequently make
mistakes about my feelings), and mood repair measured by the remaining 6 items which refers to the capacity of
individuals to control negative emotions (i.e.," Although, I some times feel sad, I usually have an optimistic out
look) internal consistency with values of 86, 88 and 82 was estimated for Attention, clarity, and Repair respectively
(Salovey et al., 1995). In the present study, we obtained Cronbach alphas values for each of the TMMS dimensions
and total of .62, .49, .14 and 0.70 for Attention, Clarity, Repair, and full scale respectively.

2.2.2.Revised Symptom Checklist90-R (SCL90-R, Derogatis et al., 1973).

This symptom checklist is consisted of 90 items in which each item requires responding in degree of symptom
intensity (from 1-5) in which he/ she have experienced during the past week. This scale-consisted of nine subscale
(dimensions) including somatization, obsessive-compulsive disorders, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety,
hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism. In order to calculate the internal consistency of the
scale Cronbach alpha coefficient has been used, and the results indicated that internal consistency for all subscales
were at a satisfactory level. The maximum alpha coefficient was 0.90 for depression, and the minimum value was
for psychoticism ( = 0.77). Stability coefficient that was computed for test-retest reliability in the interval of one
week was between 0.87 and 0.90. In the current investigation alpha coefficient for the full symptom checklist was
0.90.

3. Results

The results have been presented in the following tables:

Table 1. Matrix of correlation between emotional intelligence and behavioral symptoms

in deliquent adolescents
Variables M SD 1 2 3 4 5
1.SCL90-R- Somatization 14.57 10.67 -
2.SCL90-R- Interpersonal Sensitivity 12.90 7.85 0.83** -
3.SCL90-R- Psychoticism 12.64 7.89 0.76** 0.74** -
4.TMMS-Attention 38.64 6.56 0.02 0.01 -0.08 -
5.TMMS-Clarity 33.21 4.83 0.01 0.11 -0.02 0.25 -
6.TMMS-Mood Repair 18.78 3.83 -0.37* -0.41* -0.27* 0.29 0.16
** P < 0.01 * P < 0.05
Table 1 shows that emotional intelligence (mood repair) is associated with somatization, interpersonal sensitivity
and psychoticism in delinquent adolescents. Individuals who show a mood repair were lower in somatization,
interpersonal sensitivity and psychoticism, and had a higher health status.
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Table 2. Multiple regression analysis method to predict behavioral symptoms from emotional intelligence
in deliquent adolescents

Variables R R2 F P B SEB
Dependent Predictor
SCL90-R- Somatization TMMS-Mood Repair 0.32 0.10 5.10 0.005 1.24* 0.039 -0.88
SCL90-R- Interpersonal Sensitivity TMMS-Mood Repair 0.40 0.16 8.36 0.005 0.59* 0.031 -0.40
SCL90-R- Psychoticism TMMS-Mood Repair 0.32 0.10 5.03 0.005 0.32* 0.029 -0.64

**P < 0/01 * P <0/05

As indicated in table 2 only mood repair is significant predictors of somatization (R2= 10%), interpersonal
sensitivity (R2= 16%) and psychoticism (R2= 10%). In other words somatization, interpersonal sensitivity and
psychoticism of delinquent adolescents with mood repair were higher than other delinquent adolescents. Moreover,
somatization, interpersonal sensitivity and psychoticism of delinquent adolescents with mood repair were lower than
other delinquent adolescents. Inspecting beta analysis shows that mood repair can positively predicts magnitude of
behavioral symptoms in adolescents, while mood repair were negatively associated with behavioral symptoms.

4. Discussion

In the current study relation between emotional intelligence components and psychological symptoms in
delinquent adolescents has been investigated. Results of multiple regression analysis indicated that psychological
symptoms in delinquent adolescents can be predicted by their emotional intelligence components. Individuals, who
hold a emotional intelligence components, are lower in psychological symptoms in compare to others.The results of
the current study are consistent with some other investigation (e.g., Van Rooy & Viswesvaran, 2004; Mathews et
al., 2002; Brown & Schutte, 2006; Salovery & Grewal, 2005; Thompson et al., 2007; Saklofske et al., 2007; Greven,
et al., 2008).
Studies indicated that overall emotional intelligence has promise as a predictor of various lives outcomes
including mental and physical health (Van Rooy & Viswesvaran, 2004). Currently there is a substantial research
body of literature indicates relationship between emotional intelligence and mental health functioning. The adaptive
perception, use of emotion to enhance cognition, understanding, emotion, and regulation of emotion may contribute
to mental and physical health in various ways. Mathews, Zeidner, and Roberts (2002) mentioned that levels of
emotional intelligence may have implications for mental disorders. Mood and anxiety disorders are examples of
discovers that have maladaptive emotional state as core symptoms (Mathews et al., 2002) the better perception
understanding, and management of emotions of those with higher emotional intelligence may prevent development
of maladaptive emotional states associated with mood and anxiety disorders.
Supporting a link between lower emotional intelligence and lake of awareness of emotional process as well as
impulse control problems, (Schutte et al., 1998) found that lower emotional intelligence is associated with more
alexithymia and less impulse control.
Moreover, researchers discovered that components of emotional intelligence are associated psychological
symptoms and distresses(Dulewicz, et al., 2003; Tsaousis & Nikolaou, 2005), general health, well being, self-
control, sensation seeking, social abilities, and being humorous(Greven et al., 2008). Positive and negative affect
(Rode et al., 2008), psychosomatic symptoms ( Thompson, et al., 2007).
These findings are consistent with result of the current study. Since the current study was an expost facto research
developing a causal relation between emotional intelligence components and psychological distress was not
possible. Investigators in the future can design an experimental design in which environmental prompting instigate
the emotional intelligence components in individuals, and study their consequence in development or escalation of
psychological distress.
Review of literature show that magnitude of psychological symptoms is associated with emotional intelligence
components. Current study has implications for prevention, and interventions of psychological problems in
delinquent adolescents. Improvement of individuals' emotional intelligence components yields to enhancement in
their health status.
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