In “Trait Emotional Intelligence, Psychological Well-Being and Peer-Rated Social Competence in Adolescence”, Stella Mavroveli furthers this discussion of the relationship between low trait EI and social anxiety. She and other researchers studied the correlation between EI and four socioemotional criteria on a sample of Dutch adolescents. They found that trait EI was positively associated with adaptive coping methods and negatively associated with depressive thoughts and somatic complaints. Adolescents who perceived themselves as being in-tune with their emotions and able to regulate them reported fewer signs of depression and physical pain. In other words, high trait EI adolescents were seemingly less vulnerable to psychological disorders compared to their low trait EI peers. Trait EI bears on strategies which individuals employ to cope with everyday problems. The study demonstrates that high trait EI individuals have an advantage in terms of effective coping strategies. The researchers concluded that the “well-being” component of trait EI may be especially relevant in the adjustment process, since positive emotions are conducive to the development of those physical, intellectual, and social resources necessary for successful coping.
The study notes that a positive association was found between trait EI and peer-rated social competence–particularly prosocial behavior. This relationship stemmed largely from a positive correlation with nominations for being cooperative, suggesting that high trait EI adolescents possess and exhibit social skills that are readily detected by their peers. It appears that an individual’s trait emotional self-efficacy is related to their social skills (as perceived by others who know them). This indicates that trait EI self-perceptions are accurate. High trait EI adolescents also seem to be more likely to enjoy the fulfillment of personal relationships during a period that is crucial for personal development. Certainly, social status has consistently emerged as a predictor of internalized disorders, whereas peer rejection, unpopularity, and social withdrawal are general causes of depression and isolated loneliness.