Maria-Jose Sanchez-Ruiz

Trait emotional intelligence profiles of students from different university faculties

This study investigated the trait emotional intelligence (trait EI or trait emotional self-efficacy) profiles of 512 students from five university faculties: technical studies, natural sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. Using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, it was hypothesised that (a) social sciences would score higher than technical studies in Emotionality, (b) arts would score higher than technical studies in Emotionality, (c) arts would score lower than technical studies in Self-control, and (d) there would be an interaction between gender and faculty, whereby female students would score higher than male students within the social sciences only. Several other exploratory comparisons were also performed. Results supported hypotheses (a), (b), and (d), but not hypothesis (c), although the differences were in the predicted direction.

Developments in trait emotional intelligence research

Trait emotional intelligence (“trait EI”) concerns our perceptions of our emotional abilities, that is, how good we believe we are in terms of understanding, regulating, and expressing emotions in order to adapt to our environment and maintain well-being. In this article, we present succinct summaries of selected findings from research on (a) the location of trait EI in personality factor space, (b) the biological underpinnings of the construct, (c) indicative applications in the areas of clinical, health, social, educational, organizational, and developmental psychology, and (d) trait EI training. Findings to date suggest that individual differences in trait EI are a consistent predictor of human behavior across the life span.

Subjective wellbeing and its relationship with academic achievement and multilinguality among Lebanese university students

The study investigated three subjective wellbeing (SWB) components, namely positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and life satisfaction (LS), along with optimism and self-esteem and their association with academic achievement and multilinguality in a sample of 1401 Lebanese university students. As predicted, optimism and self-esteem correlated positively with LS and PA, and negatively with NA. Optimism, self-esteem and each of the SWB components jointly predicted academic achievement (GPA), with PA being an individually significant positive predictor. There were differences in the five key variables across language groups, specifically between Arabic-only speakers and some other groups: Compared Arabic-only speakers, bilingual speakers of Arabic and either English or French scored higher on self-esteem, PA and optimism, and lower on NA, while trilingual speakers of Arabic, English, and French scored higher on self-esteem, PA and LS. Language grouping was a significant predictor of the SWB components, optimism, and self-esteem even when controlling for GPA, socioeconomic status (SES), and religion. Lastly, the relevance of SES and religion for the prediction of SWB is discussed, and implications and future research questions are advanced.

The Role of Metaphorical Thinking in the Creativity of Scientific Discourse

This article critically reviews the extant literature on scientific creativity and metaphorical thinking. Metaphorical thinking is based on a conceptual transfer of relationships or mapping, from a well-known source domain to a poorly known target domain, which could result in creative outcomes in sciences. Creativity leads to products that are deemed to be novel and original as well as useful and adaptive. After reviewing the concepts of metaphor and analogy and the types of metaphor identified in the literature, the relationships traditionally theorized between metaphors and creativity from different scientific disciplines were discussed, with special focus on the psychology of creativity. The empirical study of the links between creativity and metaphors can contribute to a better understanding of the scientific process. Promising lines for future research are advanced, such as the exploration of the relationship between the presence of certain types of metaphors in scientific theories and the level of creativity of such theories.

Stress and Creativity

This article reviews research on the link between stress and creativity. It does so within the context of two general lines of research, namely the research on affect-related traits and creativity and investigations of psychological states and creative performance. Results so far are rather contradictory, particularly for the link between stress state and creativity. This is a complex relationship that cannot be summarized simply as positive or negative. The article highlights the challenges of stress-creativity research and current methodological limitations. These challenges include: the use of narrow state dimensionality, poor domain differentiation, lack of temporal modeling, use of a single (and sometimes weak) creativity measure, and the underuse of trait-state models to research the topic. Some research and practical implications are outlined.

Non-Cognitive Variables and Academic Achievement

Mapping the individual differences that predict academic success in higher education is key within educational and vocational settings because academic performance (AP) is an indicator of prospective success and accomplishments and opens the door for job opportunities (Strenze, 2007). In educational settings, acknowledging and assessing these differences and the roles they play on academic success can be useful (e.g., when developing personalized interventions to increase academic achievement).

The complex relationship between creativity and affect / La compleja relación entre creatividad y afecto

Abstract The cognitive components of creativity have been widely studied since the last century. However, the role of non-cognitive elements, particularly affect, has only started to be recognized and researched in the field of psychology during the last decades. This paper offers a critical review of the most relevant contributions to the study of the relationship between creativity and affect, from the preliminary research conducted within the psychoanalytic, humanistic and cognitive frameworks, to the most current lines of research regarding the relationship between creativity and emotional states and traits. We then present three integrative and heuristic models as promising initiatives in the study of such a relationship. Finally, we highlight some theoretical and practical considerations for future studies, such as a greater delimitation of conceptualizations of creativity and affect, and the domain specificity of the relationship between them.

Media, Technology Use, and Attitudes: Associations With Physical and Mental Well‐Being in Youth With Implications for Evidence‐Based Practice

BACKGROUND Previous research has shown that the use of technology and media, in their different available forms, may have detrimental effects on the physical and mental well-being of adolescents and young adults. AIMS The present study aimed to investigate the use of different types of technology and media, attitudes toward them, and how they relate to physical and mental well-being in Lebanese university students. METHODS A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design was used. A sample of 244 undergraduates completed a self-report measuring media and technology use and attitudes, eating-related variables (e.g., healthy eating, body image dissatisfaction [BID], and eating disorders [EDs] risk), trait emotional intelligence (TEI), and psychopathology indicators (stress, anxiety, and depression). RESULTS The use of mobile phone multimedia (music, pictures, and videos) correlated with unhealthy eating and stress. Social media use was associated with BID, EDs risk, and the self-control construct of TEI. Anxiety of separation from technological devices and dependence on them was associated with increased BID, EDs risk, depression, and anxiety. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION Practical implications are discussed in terms of setting limits and boundaries on technology use during childhood and adolescence, and encouraging healthy eating and physical activity at home and on college campuses. Moreover, social media could be used as a platform for intervention and prevention programs to decrease BID, EDs, depression, and anxiety.

Emotional Intelligence as Personality: Measurement and Role of Trait Emotional Intelligence in Educational Contexts

Trait emotional intelligence (trait EI or trait emotional self-efficacy) is formally defined as a constellation of emotional perceptions assessed through questionnaires and rating scales (Petrides et al. Br J Psychol 98:273–289, 2007). The construct describes our perceptions of our emotional world (e.g., how good we believe we are in terms of understanding, managing, and utilizing our own and other people’s emotions). Although it has been empirically demonstrated that these perceptions affect virtually every area of our life, the present chapter focuses exclusively on their role in education. We begin with a brief overview of trait EI theory and measures that have been salient in education research, with particular emphasis on scales developed for children and adolescents. Subsequently, we summarize the effects of trait EI on academic performance and related variables across primary, secondary, and tertiary education. The review of the evidence indicates that research-based applications of trait EI theory in educational settings can yield concrete and lasting advantages for both individuals and schools.

Individual and social correlates of aggressive behavior in Lebanese undergraduates: The role of trait emotional intelligence

ABSTRACT This study investigates the relationship between Aggressive Behavior and individual factors, namely trait Emotional Intelligence, personality dimensions, emotion regulation and self-worth, as well as social factors, namely accepting/rejecting parenting styles and exposure to violence. The sample consisted of 252 university students in Lebanon (154 females), from 16 to 30 years old. Results from hierarchical regression analyses (controlling for age and gender and in the presence of social and individual predictors) showed that the Self-control and Emotionality factors of trait Emotional Intelligence were significant negative predictors of Aggressive Behavior while controlling for age and gender and in the presence of social and individual predictors). Exposure to violence and openness to experience also predicted Aggressive Behavior. Implications for future research and limitations of the present study are discussed.