Emotional Intelligence, Spiritual Intelligence with Quality of Friendship and Psychological Distress among University Students

Abstract

Abstract In this study researcher explored the relationship of Emotional Intelligence, Spiritual Intelligence with Quality of Friendship and Psychological Distress among University Students. In late adolescent’s and early adulthood, friendship is very important tool an adolescence’s development by providing approval, understanding, insight and social skills and it helps reducing psychological distress among university students. We studied that Emotional Intelligence; Spiritual Intelligence predicts the Quality of Friendship and Psychological Distress. It was hypothesized that there would be significant relationship between the Emotional Intelligence, Spiritual Intelligence and Quality of Friendship among University Students. Similarly, there would be significant relationship between the Emotional Intelligence, Spiritual Intelligence and Psychological Distress among university students. It was hypothesized that Emotional intelligence and Spiritual Intelligence would predict the Quality of Friendship among university students. Similarly, Emotional Intelligence and Spiritual Intelligence would predict the Psychological Distress among university students. Similarly, gender difference was expected in study variables. Correlational research design used with convenient sampling from 550 students. Data was collected from university students (male=225; female 325;550) at the age range 18-25. To collect data from the study participants a self-designed demographic sheet was used along with other research tools including Spiritual Intelligence Self Report Inventory SISRI-24 (D. King 2008), Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), Friendship Quality Scale (Thein, et al.,2012) and Psychological Distress Scale (Kessler and Mroczek, 1992). After data collection in order to analyze the data t test regression and correlation were used. The results showed that Emotional Intelligence and Spiritual Intelligence positively significant relationship with Quality of Friendship further Emotional Intelligence and Spiritual Intelligence positively significant relationship with psychological distress. We further found that Emotional Intelligence and Spiritual Intelligence predict the Quality of Friendship but Emotional Intelligence and Spiritual intelligence does not predict the Psychological Distress. Moreover, non-significant difference was found between male and female upon study variables.