Emotional intelligence: a moderator of perceived alcohol peer norms and alcohol use

This study investigated the roles of emotional intelligence and perceived alcohol peer norms in relation to alcohol use. Two hundred and forty-two undergraduates completed the Campus Survey of Alcohol and Other Drug Norms (Core Institute, 1997) and the Emotional Intelligence Scale (Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty, & Cooper, 1998). Contrary to emerging research findings, emotional intelligence (EI) was not directly associated with the study's alcohol-use variables. However, the moderating role of EI was supported in the relationship between perceived alcohol peer norms and students' alcohol use. Among college students with lower EI, there was a significantly stronger association between these variables, compared to students with higher EI.