EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, SPIRITUALITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG KASHMIRI COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract

The present study examined emotional intelligence, spirituality and psychological well-being among Kashmiri college students. The study aimed to assess the levels of these constructs, examine their interrelationships and investigate gender differences. A correlational research design was employed and a sample of 311 college students aged 18–24 years was selected from various degree colleges across the Kashmir Valley using purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Emotional Intelligence Scale developed by Hyde, Pethe and Dhar (2001), the Spiritual Well-Being Scale developed by Paloutzian and Ellison (1982) and the 18-item version of Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product-moment correlation and independent-samples t-tests were used for data analysis. The findings indicated relatively favourable levels of emotional intelligence, spirituality and psychological well-being among the participants. Emotional intelligence was positively and significantly correlated with spirituality (r = .38, p < .01) and psychological well-being (r = .56, p < .01). Spirituality was also positively and significantly correlated with psychological well-being (r = .47, p < .01). Significant gender differences were observed in emotional intelligence, spirituality and psychological well-being with female students reporting higher scores than male students. The findings suggest that emotional intelligence and spirituality are important correlates of psychological well-being among Kashmiri college students. The study highlights the potential relevance of emotional and spiritual resources in promoting positive psychological functioning among young adults in higher education.