Abstract:

Socio-emotional skills are the skills of the 21st century. They have steadily increased their share of learning from 2017 to 2023 according to more than 800 companies from all world regions in Future of Jobs Report (2023). The role of emotions has been studied in decades and emotion regulation has drawn much attention also in the education (Neve et al., 2023, Martin, & Ochsner, 2016, Jacobs, & Gross, 2014, Fried, 2011). Emotion regulation is a critical life skill that can facilitate learning and improve educational outcomes. Although the relationship between emotion regulation and emotional intelligence has been studied, potential mechanisms that might account for this relationship are still unclear also within personality space.
The study analyzes emotion regulation in the context of trait emotional intelligence model and emotional intelligence model as an ability through potential mediating role of personality traits assessed in a sample of 152 Slovak high school students (Mage=18.56, SD=.64, 56% of females). The level of emotion regulation was assessed by Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF; Petrides, 2009) and its factor of self-control, Brief Emotional Intelligence Scale (BEIS, Davies et al., 2010), and its two domains: regulation of own emotions and regulation of other´s emotion, and NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI, Costa & McCrae, adapted by Ruisel & Halama, 2007). The statistical Pearson analysis proved positive moderate significant relation between self-control from TEIQue-SF and regulation of own emotions from BEIS (r=.436***) and weak positive relation with regulation of other´s emotion (r=.237**). The partial correlation analyses estimated self-control and regulation of own emotions in positive weak and significant relation while controlling for all Big Five personality traits (r=.189*) and no relation between these two variables while controlling for Big Five traits. The study verifies the construct validity of the emotion regulation construct in the context of emotional intelligence and personality traits, also methodological limits, and possible future empirical verifications and practical applications. Emotion regulation relevance in educational setting is emphasized with practical implications for diagnostics and intervention within socio-emotional skills training.

Keywords:

Trait emotional intelligence, self-control, emotional regulation, Big Five, construct validity.