EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND PREFERENCE IN EMOTION REGULATION STRATEGY IN ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

Understanding the peculiarities of emotional intelligence (EI) in adolescents as the most important factor of social adaptation and human efficiency is the basis for the development of optimal strategies of formation and psychological correction for disorders of emotional and cognitive sphere. The aim of the work is to determine the characteristics of EI and emotion regulation (ER) in boys and girls at the age of 12-15 years with normal development. EI and ER were assessed in 54 adolescents using previously adapted validated questionnaires in Kazakh. The results of the study showed that the strategy of "reinterpretation" of emotions positively correlates with the level of emotional intelligence and prevails over the strategy of "suppression" of emotions in this age group. It has been revealed that EI indicators are significantly higher in girls compared to boys.  Thus, the peculiarities of emotional intelligence indicators and preference for the strategy of emotion regulation in adolescence have been determined, which in the future when considering other age groups will help to understand the dynamics of development of emotional functions. The value of this result lies in determining the normative values of EI indicators to establish deviations from normal development. The revealed correlations of emotional intelligence and emotion regulation can serve as a basis for the development of effective approaches to emotion regulation.

Key words: ontogenesis, adolescence, emotional intelligence, emotion regulation, gender.