Influence of emotional intelligence and social support on subjective well-being: a cross-cultural study Spain-Ecuador

Abstract

Theoretical framework: emotional intelligence is one of the most studied psychological variables at present, as well as social support, which can act as a protector of psychological health and well-being. The main objective of the work is to study the impact that emotional intelligence and perceived social support have on subjective happiness and life satisfaction in undergraduates from two different cultures and contexts: Spain and Ecuador.

Method: 760 undergraduates, 379 spaniards (83.1% female) and 381 ecuadorians (76.6% female), completed the Trait Meta Mood Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Satisfaction With Life Scale y Subjective Happiness Scale.

Results: despite finding differences between the samples in each variable, the correlational analyzes show the existence of statistically significant and positive relationships in both samples between the dimensions of emotional clarity and repair of emotions, belonging to emotional intelligence, both with life satisfaction and subjective happiness, and in dimensions of perceived social support, the family being a predictor of both life satisfaction and subjective happiness.

Conclusions: the present research contributes to a deeper understanding of the influence of emotional intelligence and social support on subjective well-being in two different cultures.