Effect of Self Esteem Enhancement on Emotional Intelligence of School Students

Self-esteem refers to the overall subjective and emotional evaluation of the self of one’s own worth and builds on the favorable experiences an individual has in one’s life such as academic achievement, social competence, etc. Emotional intelligence has been described as the ability of an individual to identify, use and manage emotions in such a way as to have better experiences with others and the self. It plays a vital role in promoting social experiences that are favorable to self-esteem. The current study focused on studying the effect of self-esteem enhancement on the emotional intelligence of school students. A self-esteem enhancement package consisting of 15 sessions was developed which incorporated various activities designed to develop a realistic self and enhance self-awareness. The results showed a positive effect of self-esteem enhancement on emotional intelligence. The results obtained were discussed in view of implementation of such programs by school counselors in India to facilitate the development of a well-rounded personality of the youth passing out from the school.