The Effectiveness of Life Skills Training on Improving Emotional Intelligence in Undergraduate Students of Isfahan

Abstract

Background : People with emotional intelligence can better cope with the challenges of life and effectively regulate their emotions. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of life skills training on emotional intelligence and its components in undergraduates students of Isfahan. Methods : This study is a Nonequivalent control group design type from a quasi-experimental project. The study population consisted of all undergraduate students in the academic year from 2013 to 2014 that were enrolled in Isfahan. Sixty (60) undergraduates were selected by convenience sampling and were divided into two groups of experimental and control. Then, the experimental and control groups undertook the emotional intelligence test. Cronbach’s alpha reliability of the test was reported as 93.0, and the validity studies suggested a high validity of this test. After that, the experimental group was conducted through 15 sessions for 90-minutes. The post test was performed after completion of the training program of both groups. For the purpose of data analysis, the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 18 and the multivariate covariance analysis was used. Results : The results showed that life skills education, with an emphasis on communication skills, was effective in the overall score of emotional intelligence. (F (5, 19) = 14.76, P = 0.05, ηp2 = 0.79) eta-squared values indicate a favorable effectiveness of the training. Conclusions : It is suggested that these skills can be taught regularly and continuously during all periods of academic education.

Keywords

• emotional intelligence
• life skill
• social skills
• students