Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Prosocial Behaviors in Spanish and Colombian Older Adults Based on Path Models

Manuel Martí-Vilar; Carlos Andrés Trejos-Gil; Juan Diego Betancur-Arias

doi:10.3390/healthcare10020284

Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Prosocial Behaviors in Spanish and Colombian Older Adults Based on Path Models

Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Feb 1;10(2):284. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10020284.

Authors

Manuel Martí-Vilar¹, Carlos Andrés Trejos-Gil², Juan Diego Betancur-Arias³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Basic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
² Department of Social Communication, Faculty of Communication, Advertising and Design, University Catolic Luis Amigó, Medellin 05001, Colombia.
³ Faculty of Psychology and Social Sciences, University Catholic Luis Amigo, Medellin 05001, Colombia.

Abstract

Emotional intelligence (EI), empathy, and prosocial behavior (PB) are widely studied in the early stages of life, up to adolescence. However, there have been few studies in older adults. Using a multivariate methodology, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were applied with structural equation models (SEM) in 271 older adults in Colombia, along with a Spanish sample made up of 139 adults over 60 years of age, for a total sample of 411 older adults. The results confirmed that EI, as measured with the WLEIS, scale is the best predictor of PB, with excellent adjustment criteria (GFI = 0.99; CFI = 0.98; RMSEA = 0.064; PCLOSE = 0.28; SRMR = 0.023; AIC = 57.30). It is concluded that the path model yielded a reliable predictive explanation of PB, including EI as a key variable that explains prosocial tendencies.

Keywords: confirmatory factor analysis; emotional intelligence; path; prosocial behavior; structural equation modeling.