Relationship between general intelligence, emotional intelligence, stress levels and stress reactivity

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human Physiology

Background:

• Stressful life events and daily stresses have detrimental effects on physical and mental health.
• Research indicates stress negatively impacts cognitive functions such as attention, concentration, learning, and memory.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between General Intelligence (GI), Emotional Intelligence (EI), psychological stress, and acute stress reactivity.
• To explore how GI and EI levels influence an individual's response to acute stressors.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-four healthy male students participated, assessed for baseline GI, EI, perceived stress, and acute stress reactivity.
• Participants were categorized into four groups based on median GI and EI scores.
• Salivary cortisol levels and perceived stress were measured post-stressor to identify differentiating factors.

Main Results:

• Higher EI was inversely correlated with both acute and chronic perceived stress levels.
• General intelligence (GI) showed no correlation with stress levels or acute stress reactivity.
• Cognitive performance on memory and attention tasks (Sternberg, Stroop tests) was unaffected by GI/EI group differences.

Conclusions:

• Emotional intelligence (EI) is a key attribute for effectively managing both acute and chronic perceived stress.
• EI appears more influential than GI in modulating stress responses and perceived stress levels.