Emotional Intelligence: The Predictor of Resilience

Abstract

The concept of resilience explains why some people experience chronically high levels of stress at work while others thrive, resulting in their greater ability to manage future challenges. Resilience is therefore, described as a dynamic process in which individuals exhibit positive behavioural adaptation in times of significant adversity, stress, trauma, or tragedy. The concept of resilience figures prominently in positive psychology movement advanced by Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000). Resilience has an overlap with the competencies and capacities of Danial Goleman's (1998; 2002) Emotional Intelligence (EI) model on the basis of traits that included self-control, zeal, persistence and the ability to motivate oneself. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship and the relative predictive power of EI in developing resilience. The sample consisted of 507 Army personnel serving in Jammu and Kashmir and Bhopal with minimum service of five years. Emotional Intelligence Scale developed by Cooper and Sawaf (1997) and resilience scale again based on their scale were used. Both the measures were standardised on Indian population. The obtained data were analysed by using product moment correlation and stepwise multiple regression. The results revealed a positive correlation between EI and resilience. Multiple regressions also proved that parameters of EI significantly contributed to resilience. The outcome of the study will help in developing training module on EI for improving resilience among the army personnel to withstand adverse events and stressful situations without falling apart.