Role of Emotional Intelligence and Coping in Dealing with Disinhibition and Aggression among Undergraduates in Private Higher Education

Abstract

This research examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and coping, disinhibition and aggression. Additionally, coping was examined as a potential mediator of the relationship between emotional intelligence, disinhibition and aggression. Participants consisted of 563 students (186 men, 377 women) from various private colleges and faculties. The participants’ age ranged from 19 to 30, with a mean age of 23 years (M = 23.2, SD = 4.23). As predicted, disinhibition was uniquely negatively associated with self-emotion appraisal, others’ emotion appraisal, use of emotion, regulation of emotion and coping. Also, as predicted, aggression was uniquely negatively associated with the regulation of emotion and coping, suggesting that disinhibition and aggression in a coherent fashion influence emotional intelligence and coping. Additionally, coping mediate the relationships between disinhibition and self-emotion appraisal, use of emotion, and regulation of emotion as well as relationships between aggression and these dimensions of emotional intelligence. The results demonstrate that disinhibition and aggression negatively affect emotional intelligence and coping. The results of mediation analyses corroborated the relationships between disinhibition, aggression and emotional intelligence and the role of coping as its mediator, highlighting the importance of disinhibition and aggression in the prediction of some dimensions of emotional intelligence and the significant role of coping as a mediator in these relationships.