A STUDY ON STUDENTS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE& SELF ESTEEM

INTRODUCTION
In the effort to build a prosperous nation, the development of human capital and quality human resources cannot be overlooked and are closely linked. School students are among those who play a key role in leading the nation in the future. In fact, the credibility of the student depends on the degree of his positive self-development and mastery of soft skills in solving future challenges and problems. During school life, positive self-confidence and good emotional intelligence will help school pupils to adapt. In the long run, they will also help college students cope with real-world challenges. Emotional intelligence as a term did not enter our language until around 1990. Although it is a relatively new term, interest in the term has grown tremendously since then. Already in the 1930s, psychologist Edward Thorndike described the concept of “social intelligence” as the ability to get along with other people. During the 1940s, psychologist David Wechsler proposed that different effective components of intelligence may play an important role in how successful people are in life. The 1950s saw the rise of a school of thought known as humanistic psychology, and thinkers such as Abraham Maslow focused more attention on the different ways people could build emotional strength. Another important concept that emerged in the development of emotional intelligence was the notion of multiple intelligences. This concept was put forward in the mid-1970s by Howard Gardner, who introduced the idea that intelligence is more than just a single general ability. It was not until 1985 that he first used the term “emotional intelligence” in Wayne Payne’s doctoral thesis. In a 1987 article published in Mensa Magazine, Keith Beasley used the term “emotional quotient”. “In today’s world, emotional intelligence (EI) is the common denominator of success and has the highest importance in every sphere of life (Carmeli et al. , 2007). Holistic achievement includes 39 Indian Journal of Health Social Work. 4(2) July-December, 2022 both intellectual and EI (Sulaiman, 2013). EI defines “The ability to recognize the meanings of emotions and their relationships and to reason and solve based on them. EI is involved in the ability to perceive emotions, assimilate feelings related to emotions, understand information about those emotions, and manage them.” (Mayer, Caruso & Salovey, 1999, p. 267). EI is an antecedent of several positive psychological traits. Yost and Tucker (2000) confirm the links of emotional intelligence with reduced rates of depression, better mental health functioning, self-esteem and responsibility for good teamwork skills. Self-esteem is conceptualized as holistic feelings of worth and competence or a sense of personal acceptance, worth and kindness (Coopersmith, 1967; Lyubomirsky et al, 2006; Rosenberg, 1965) States of high self-esteem and positive mood associated with EI (Schutte , Simunek, Mc Kenley and Hollander , 2002). Self-esteem is responsible for academic and occupational success, happiness, and interpersonal harmony (Redenbach, 1991). Attention to investigating plausible associations between EI and students’ selfesteem is evident from many studies. Research has shown a positive correlation between EI and self-esteem of students in Pakistan (Bibi, Saqlain, & Mussawar, 2016). A positive association between EI and selfesteem has been reported (Country & Chester (2005). Nnabuife, Chukwuemeka, Chinwendu, Ephraim, and Ikechukwu (2018) obtained a positive association between EI, self-esteem, and other variables of age, global emotional intelligence, emotion perception, and management among postgraduates students. Studies have shown a positive relationship between EI and self-esteem (Country & Chester, 2005; Bibi et al., 2016; shamsaei et al., 2017). People with low self-esteem tend to feel less confident in their abilities and may doubt their decision-making process. They may not feel motivated to try new things because they don’t believe they are capable of achieving their goals. People with low self-esteem may have problems with relationships and expressing their needs. They may also experience low self-esteem and feel unloved and unworthy. People with high self-esteem may overestimate their skills and may feel entitled to success even though they lack the skills to support their self-belief. They may struggle with relationships and block themselves from self-improvement because they are so fixated on perfection. The aim of these initiatives is not only to improve health and well-being, but also to help students succeed in their studies and prevent bullying. There are many examples of how emotional intelligence can play a role in everyday life. Thinking before reacting Emotionally intelligent people know that emotions can be strong but also temporary. When a highly charged emotional event occurs, such as getting angry with a co-worker, an emotionally intelligent response would be to take some time to react. This allows everyone to calm their emotions and think more rationally about all the factors surrounding the argument. Greater Self-Awareness Emotionally intelligent people are not only good at thinking about how other people might feel, but they are also adept at understanding their own feelings. Self-awareness allows people to consider the many different factors that contribute to their emotions. Empathy for Others A big part of emotional intelligence is being able to think and empathize with how other people feel. This often involves considering how you would react if you were in the same situation. People with strong emotional intelligence are able to consider other people’s perspectives, experiences, and emotions and use this information to explain why people behave the way they do. People with high self-esteem may overestimate their skills and may feel entitled to success even A STUDY ON STUDENTS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE& SELF ESTEEM 40 Indian Journal of Health Social Work. 4(2) July-December, 2022 though they lack the skills to support their selfbelief. They may struggle in relationships and block themselves from self-improvement because they are so fixated on seeing themselves as perfect. Many theorists have written about the dynamics involved in the development of selfesteem. The concept of self-esteem plays an important role in psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which depicts esteem as one of the basic human motivations. Maslow suggested that individuals need both appreciation from other people and internal self-esteem to build selfesteem. Both of these needs must be fulfilled so that the individual can grow personally and achieve self-realization. It is important to note that self-esteem is a distinct concept from self-esteem, which includes how well you think you can handle future actions, performance, or abilities. Studies such as Abbas (2011), Brody and Hall (2000), Ciarrochi et al. (2005), Katyal and Awasthi (2005), and Hall and Mast (2008) suggest that females tend to score higher on EI compared to males. However, Jennabadi (2014) found no gender differences in EI. Additionally, King et al. (1999), Nupur and Mahapatro (2016), and Zeinvand (2006) suggest that college-educated men may have higher self-esteem than women. EI has been identified as a predictor of academic improvement, and it aids in resource development, knowledge acquisition, and talent utilization (Ciarrochi et al., 2006). Shah, Nazir, and Zamir (2019) reported a positive correlation between EI and self-esteem among school-going students, with significant gender differences. They highlight the importance of these variables in the healthy development of individuals and the country’s social capital. However, Bibi et al. (2020) did not find gender differences in emotional intelligence while studying its relationship with aggression in Pakistan. Mehmood and Gulzar (2004) found a positive relationship between EI and self-esteem, suggesting that emotionally intelligent individuals receive positive responses from society, contributing to their overall effectiveness. Samin (2016) conducted a study on self-esteem and depression among college students and found a significant negative relationship between self-esteem and depression, indicating that high selfesteem can contribute to higher academic excellence and reduced stress levels. The literature highlights the need for comprehensive research with larger samples from different cities/provinces in Pakistan to obtain a holistic understanding of young adults. The findings have been inconsistent across studies, warranting further exploration. Additionally, Brown et al. (1998) found that self-esteem tends to decline during adolescence, with varying patterns across different ethnic groups. Some studies indicate that boys may have higher global self-esteem than girls during early adolescence (Chubb et al., 1997)

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