A Quantitative Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Anxiety Level among the Working Professionals

Figure 1: Four Pillars of EI

 

The term anxiety derives from the Latin word 'anxietas,' which often denotes a blend of uncertainty, agitation, and fear (Eysenck, 1992). Anxiety is a specific manifestation of fear triggered by a perceived threat to self-esteem. It represents the individual's subjective experience, denoting psychological distress and discomfort. Individuals occasionally experience anxiety to varied degrees due to certain situations that need such a reaction. The presence of a certain degree of apprehension or concern is not intrinsically a wholly adverse factor. This emotional condition becomes problematic when it persists for an extended period or recurs with sufficient severity to incapacitate an individual in daily activities.

Figure 2: Various forms of anxiety

Neha Jha (2024) asserted that emotional intelligence assists individuals in mitigating anxiety and tension in the workplace. This study investigated the significance of emotional intelligence in the workplace, specifically its relationship with anxiety and stress management. The research sample consisted of 150 MBA students engaged in internships. The General Anxiety Test, Stress Inventory, and Emotional Intelligence Scale were employed to assess the constructs of anxiety, stress, and emotional intelligence. The correlation and regression analysis results indicated a significant link between stress and anxiety and emotional intelligence, with stress and anxiety serving as predictors of emotional intelligence.

The research conducted by Uysal (2024) examined the effect of anxiety levels among individuals in the education sector on their job satisfaction. The research utilized a relational survey approach. The study population consisted of all educational personnel in Turkey, while the sample comprised 110 educational staff members from a province in western Turkey. The research incorporated the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory alongside the Job Satisfaction Scale.

The study by Sneha Singh and Shakti Chaturvedi (2023) examined the substantial and strong correlation between emotional intelligence and occupational stress. Higher emotional intelligence scores in employees are associated with reduced occupational stress levels. A strong and statistically significant correlation exists between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction. Therefore, it can be asserted that employees with elevated emotional intelligence scores have greater job satisfaction than those with diminished emotional intelligence scores.

M. Deady et al. (2022) examined the cross-sectional relationship between depression and anxiety, both separately and in combination, and their effects on job performance and absenteeism in their research. 4953 employed Australians were engaged. Within the overall sample, 7% met criteria primarily for depression, 13% exclusively for anxiety, and 16% exhibited comorbid conditions. Individuals with comorbidity exhibited greater symptom severity, diminished work performance, and higher rates of sickness absence compared to all other categories.

The study by Francisco Manuel Morales-Rodríguez et al. (2019) sought to assess the relationship between self-efficacy, anxiety, coping strategies, and emotional intelligence among Spanish university students. This study employed a cross-sectional design.

Ranjan Pattnaik et al. (2016) sought to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and anxiety in security agents. Data were collected from 104 security specialists randomly selected from a nationally respected academic institution in Eastern India. Evaluations of emotional intelligence and anxiety were utilized for data collection. The research revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between emotional intelligence and anxiety. The research proposes several coping strategies for security personnel in alleviating anxiety.

 

 

Table 1: Methods and Procedure

 

A survey on “A Quantitative Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Anxiety Level among the Working Professionals” was done. Total 300 respondents filled the questionnaire and valid respondents were 300 in the case of gender, age, gender and profession. The yielding response rate of approximately 100%.

 

 

Occupation Description of the Respondents:

Occupation of respondents are shown in Table 3 and figure 1. Out of 300 respondents from the survey, there were 105(35 percent) respondents were software engineers and second highest proportion i.e.,   90(30%) respondents were in mix categories of profession. From the survey, there were 75(25 percent) respondents were doctors/medical professional and 30(10%) respondents were Chartered Accountants. Further as per descriptive statistics (From Table 1), the mean value and standard deviation are 2.45 and 1.163 respectively.

 

 

Figure 3: Occupation Description

 

From the below mentioned table of correlation matrix and regression analysis that the  Emotional intelligence (EI) is the capacity of an individual to recognize, comprehend, control and manage one’s own emotions, as well as those of others. Anxiety, in contrast, is an emotional state where people feel worried, nervous or on edge. Psychological research from the below mentioned table evidences consistently reveals the very low level of positive relationship predictable between EI and anxiety reflecting that high levels of EI are usually correlated with low levels of anxiety.

Further, as per the below mentioned tables and figures, people with high EIs can identify their emotions and figure out where they will have come from if the day isn’t going so well. This emotional understanding helps them to use adaptive coping strategies like emotion regulation, problem solving, and cognitive reappraisal. Similarly, emotion regulation is related to lower levels of trait and state anxiety such that emotionally intelligent people are less likely become anxious even when confronted with a challenge or threat.

In contrast, those with low emotional intelligence may not be able to recognize and regulate their emotions well. Negative emotion dysregulation also has potential consequences including, emotional flooding, rumination, and maladaptive coping which compound anxiety levels. Poor ability to communicate emotion and low empathy skills may decrease social support, which in turn increases anxiety.

 

 

Table5: Regression Analysis between Emotional Intelligence and Anxiety

 

Figure 4: Histogram of Beck Anxiety Inventory Level (BAI)

 

Figure 5: Normal P-P of Regression of Dependent Variable (BAI) and Independent Variable (EI).

The findings have been found for individual components of EI including emotional regulation, self-awareness, and stress management that have demonstrated to be strong predictors in relation to decreasing anxiety. Emotional regulation assists with managing anxious thoughts, and self-awareness facilitates early recognition of signs of anxiety. Furthermore, interpersonal facets of EI, including empathy and social skills, facilitate attempts to gain support and effectively receive it in favor of reducing anxiety.

In pedagogical and clinical situations training and interventions designed to augment emotional intelligence have decreased anxiety and promoted mental health. In sum, the negative correlation between high EI and anxiety underlines the role of emotional skills in mental health protection.

In conclusion, as per this psychological study consistently reveal a significant negative relationship between EI and anxiety (high levels of EI are positively related to low levels of anxiety). EI is a protector variable of anxiety and its improvement can be useful in preventative or managing strategies for anxiety.

 

CONCLUSION

Emotional intelligence (EI) is an individual’s capacity to recognize, understand and manage emotional states in self or others. Anxiety, however, is an emotional condition that includes excessive feelings of tension, worry, nervousness and physical changes involving increased activity of the autonomic nervous system. Theoretical links, conceptually or theoretically related to those between emotional intelligence and level of anxiety, have been proposed in psychological literature, suggesting a negative relationship.

A person with a high emotional intelligence is more sensitive and aware of their mood changes, and the reasons behind them. This knowledge helps them deal calmly with difficult situations and lowers the risk they will become overwhelmed by anxiety. Components of emotional intelligence such as self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, Empathy and social skills that are also closely tied into anxiety management. For example, with the aid of self-regulation individuals can suppress impulsive reactions and cope with negative emotions to avoid anxiety from increasing.

On the contrary, people with low emotional intelligence may find it difficult to recognize and understand their emotions. This wellspring of emotional confusion can result in overload and stunting coping, while amplifying an individual’s susceptibility to anxiety. An inability to regulate one’s emotions leads to chronic worry, fear and increased response of stress. In social situations, lower emotional intelligence may be associated with interpersonal difficulties, social fears, and a lack of social participation.

Finally, emotional intelligence and anxiety level are conceptually connected via the constructs of emotion awareness, regulation and coping strategies. Increased emotional intelligence could act as a protective factor against anxiety, due to the ability of being more in control of emotions and handle stress better. As such, education and psychological interventions that increase emotional intelligence may be highly conducive to the relief of anxiety levels and the enhancement of mental health.

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