Emotional Intelligence and Adjustment Pattern of Undergraduate Students

Emotional intelligence is considered an important psychological construct that facilitates effective management of emotions, stress, and interpersonal relationships, thereby contributing to better adaptation in various life domains. The present study aimed to examine the differences in adjustment patterns among undergraduate students with emotional intelligence high and low levels.  A descriptive survey research design was employed for the study. The sample consisted of 500 undergraduate second-year students (250 male and 250 female) aged between18 and 22 years, selected from different colleges of Odisha, India, using a multistage stratified sampling technique. The Sevenfold Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS) and the Adjustment Inventory for College Students (AICS) were used to collect data which were analyzed using independent samples t-test through SPSS software. The results revealed significant differences between students with high and low emotional intelligence in aspects of adjustment, namely educational, social, health, and home adjustment. In each case, students with high emotional intelligence demonstrated better adjustment compared to their low emotional intelligence counterparts.