Optimism and friendship quality as mediators between trait emotional intelligence and life satisfaction in Chinese adolescents: A two-wave longitudinal study

Xiaobo Wang; Xiong Lu; Tao Hu; Shuang Xue; Wenjian Xu; Wanjie Tang

doi:10.1007/s12144-022-03931-0

Optimism and friendship quality as mediators between trait emotional intelligence and life satisfaction in Chinese adolescents: A two-wave longitudinal study

Curr Psychol. 2022 Nov 24:1-10. doi: 10.1007/s12144-022-03931-0. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Xiaobo Wang¹, Xiong Lu¹, Tao Hu¹, Shuang Xue², Wenjian Xu², Wanjie Tang^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Education and Psychology, Chengdu Normal University, Chengdu, China.
² Faculty of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
³ Mental Health Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
⁴ Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.

Abstract

Using a convenience sample of adolescents (N = 1609; 63.5% female; M _age = 16.54), this study explored whether EI predicted adolescent life satisfaction and whether friendship quality and optimism mediated this relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic. The structural equation modeling revealed that EI predicted adolescent life satisfaction, friendship quality, and optimism, friendship quality partially mediated the relationship between EI and life satisfaction, and optimism partially mediated the relationship between EI and friendship quality. These findings prove that psychological or educative approaches focused on EI could increase life satisfaction in adolescents during difficult times such as COVID-19, but EI may be linked with life satisfaction via friendship quality only. Training in optimism approaches and friendship quality enhancement programs could also effectively promote life satisfaction.

Keywords: Adolescent; Emotional intelligence; Friendship quality; Life satisfaction; Optimism.