Emotional intelligence, perceived stress and Smartphone use in university students

IE, estrés y smartphone

Abstract

University students are subjected to stressful situations that can be mentally challenging for them, affecting their emotional intelligence and stress level. The smartphone has become an indispensable element in their lives and it may affect different areas of their daily lives. The aim of this study is to analyse the emotional intelligence and stress level of university students in Spain, comparing both factors with each other and with their level of mobile phone use. The sample is composed of 637 participants (433 females and 204 males), with an average age of 23.44 years. Three validated questionnaires were used plus some socio-demographic questions. The results show that there is a relationship between all the variables analysed. It is concluded that women show better emotional attention and men show better emotion repair. It is also women who show higher levels of perceived stress and better coping with it. The use of smartphones influences all dimensions of emotional intelligence and perceived stress. There are correlations between all the variables of emotional intelligence and perceived stress.