The role of personality factors in the relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the role played by personality factors in the relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being. A secondary data analysis of the Fort project undertaken by Wissing et al. (1999) was used, which aimed at clarifying and advancing the study of psychological well-being, whereby a purposive sampling of 128 participants was selected in North West University (Mafikeng campus).The sample comprised of both male (n= 51) and Female (n= 77) participants who were undergraduate students at the time of survey. The Emotional quotient ( EQ) Inventory, two personality factors (Agreeableness (A) and Extraversion (E)) from the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, Satisfaction With Life Scale and Affectometer 2, were used as measuring instruments in this study. The literature shows that both personality and emotional intelligence predict psychological well-being (Premuzic, Bennet & Furnham, 2007; Van der Berg & Pitauriu, 2005; DeNeve & Cooper, 1998; Vitterso, 2001 ). However, few if any studies have used both emotional intelligence and personality factors to predict psychological well-being. This study tests whether combining the use use of both emotional intelligence and personality factors in one model improves the prediction of psychological well-being.