Psychological characteristics of emotional intelligence and the tendency to unmotivated anxiety in students

Abstract

In today's educational environment, increasing attention is being paid to studying the factors that influence students' psychological well-being. One such factor is emotional intelligence (EI), which, according to several studies, can have both a protective and indirect effect on anxiety. The aim of this study was to comprehensively analyze the emotional intelligence characteristics of university students and their relationship with their tendency toward unmotivated anxiety. The study examined key components of EI, including emotional awareness, emotional regulation, self-motivation, empathy, and emotional regulation of others. The methodological basis of the study included the use of methods for assessing emotional intelligence and diagnosing the level of unmotivated anxiety, as well as the use of methods of descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. The study results showed that most students exhibited average levels of emotional intelligence and moderate levels of unmotivated anxiety. The most prominent components of EI were emotional awareness and self-motivation, while emotion regulation was demonstrated at a lower level. Correlation and regression analyses revealed no statistically significant relationships between EI scores and anxiety levels, indicating the limited predictive power of these constructs. The value of this study lies in its clarification of the role of emotional intelligence in the structure of students' psychological characteristics, as well as in raising the question of the need to seek additional resources – coping  strategies, social support, and stress resilience. The practical significance of the study lies in the potential use of the obtained data for the development of psychological support programs for students.

Keywords: emotional intelligence, anxiety, unmotivated anxiety, students, self-regulation.