Perceived emotional intelligence as a moderator variable between cybervictimization and its emotional impact

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cyberpsychology
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Cyberbullying's negative effects on academic performance, social integration, and self-esteem are well-documented.
• Individual differences in situational and personal characteristics influence the emotional impact of cybervictimization.
• Emotional intelligence (EI) has been implicated in mitigating outcomes related to traditional and cyberbullying.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence (PEI) and the emotional impact of cybervictimization.
• To investigate the potential moderating role of PEI in the cyberbullying-emotional impact relationship.

Main Methods:

• Study involved 636 university students from two universities in southern Spain.
• Utilized self-report questionnaires: European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire, Cyberbullying Emotional Impact Scale, and Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24.
• Structural Equation Models were employed to analyze variable relationships.

Main Results:

• Perceived emotional intelligence (PEI) significantly moderates the relationship between cybervictimization and emotional impact.
• Cybervictimization and PEI together explain a substantial portion of the variance in emotional impact, particularly negative dimensions.
• Specific EI facets (Attention, Repair, Clarity) showed distinct relationships with emotional responses like Annoyance, Dejection, and Invigoration.

Conclusions:

• PEI plays a crucial role in buffering the negative emotional consequences of cybervictimization.
• Understanding and enhancing PEI may be a key strategy in interventions for cyberbullying victims.
• The findings highlight the complex interplay between individual emotional capabilities and the psychological distress caused by cyberbullying.