THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STRESS MANGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM ON EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AMONG FIRST YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

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Augustus Heath
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1 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STRESS MANGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM ON EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AMONG FIRST YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Aghdas Safari & Dina Leabarnovic Faculty of education Malaya University Azam Safari Islamic Azad University, Tehran Science and Research Ryhaneh Jalali Tarbiyat Modarres University gmail.com ABSTRACT The study was a true-experimental pre-post design including four groups of first year university students from Rodeheen Azad universities in north Tehran (n=60 ). The stress management group was exposed to five days of two hour stress management training, while the control group was only given pre-post questionnaires while the control group was only given pre-post questionnaires. ANCOVA analysis results among the stress management group showed that the training program was effective in raising the level of emotional intelligence significantly. It was recommended that stress management, skills training should be used as an adjunct strategy to improve student emotional intelligence among adolescents and adult students. Field of Research: Intelligence, stress management, Training Program, First year University Student Introduction Scientific and technological developments have overtaken humanity with a vast variety of new experiences and potential problems in today s life. Unfortunately, according to recent socialpsychological research, the capability, adaptability and practical skills of most people are not sufficient to effectively dissolve their individual and social difficulties. Therefore EI ( Intelligence) with emphasis on significant aspects of individual and social life is a key and an undeniable principle for survival (Bar-On, 2002). Stress is a natural part of every young person s life. Stress is any change, internal or external, positive or negative, to which a young person must adapt; in simple words, stress is anything that causes physical and/or mental wear and tear on the body and mind (Maree & Eiselen, 2004). Students stress is usually related to everyday experiences, worries and challenges at school, home, in the community and within their peers group Greenberg, Kusche, Riggs, N. (2004) ). 4-5 June 2013, Penang, MALAYSIA. Organized by WorldConferences.net 496

2 Research has shown that people on low EI get higher scores in stress, and people of high Intelligence attain higher scores in empathy, self-review and self-control in different social conditions. (Schutte et al., 2001). 2. Effects of stress management on Intelligence College students are prone to stress due to the transitional nature of college life. This stress could affect students' health and academic functions. Effective coping strategies facilitate the return to a balanced state, reducing the negative effects of stress. The students need to learn how to acknowledge and express their feelings, manage stress and come up with strategies to increase Students Intelligence. 3. Theoretical Framework Pretest Groups Posttest Intelligence(EI). Stress management training Intelligence(EI). Intelligence (EI) Control Intelligence(EI). Dependent variables from the treatment group of students EQ-i assessments included the overall emotional intelligence score, stress management skills was independent variables. 4. Methodology In order to address research questions, a true experimental design was applied. The samples are randomly selected from the population, the independent variable is systematically manipulated, participants are randomly assigned to groups, and a pretest, a posttest and a control group establish a baseline to ensure that effects are linked to the manipulation. This research examined Total EQ Scale scores and five Composite Scale scores as measured by the Bar-On EQ-i (Bar-On, 2002) 4.1 Sample and data collection method The statistical population of this study was female Bachelor students of Education and Psychology faculties of Islamic Azad University - Roodehen (Iran), enrolled in the first semester of academic year ). 4-5 June 2013, Penang, MALAYSIA. Organized by WorldConferences.net 497

3 A structured group-administered questionnaire using 5-point Likert scale was used in assessing the students self-reported experiences and feedbacks. The students were gathered and asked to respond to the questionnaire in a group administered setting in the faculty education conference halls. 4.2 Instrumentation Study variable No. Of Item source of scale Type of item Intelligence 133 Bar-On 5-point Likert 1997 The Bar-On EI Inventory (EQ-I) includes 133 short-question items, and employs a 5-point Likert scale ranging from very seldom or not true of me to very often true of me or true of me (Bar-On, 1997b). The Farsi version includes 133 short-question items used herein in this study 5. Finding & Discussion 5.1 Reliability analysis The results of normalization showed that the test has acceptable validity and reliability (.76) (Bar-On, 1997).Results of normalization in Iran have shown that the test has acceptable validity and reliability at 73% (Dehshery2002). 6. Discussion and Conclusion The present study has been done with the aim of increasing the student Intelligence. Results to demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in emotional intelligence and the five schools that comprise Bar-On s model of emotional intelligence as measured by the EQ-i. The scales of intrapersonal, interpersonal, adaptability, general mood, and stress management were analyzed for improvement ). 4-5 June 2013, Penang, MALAYSIA. Organized by WorldConferences.net 498

4 Table 1. Mean emotional intelligence subscales Students pretest, posttest groups trained with the skills of Stress management skills before and after the education Shows the data on students' scores on subscales of EI in groups trained with the skills of Stress management, Skills in two phases: before and after the education is different. So that the mean scores of groups of subjects trained in the skills stress management, stage of education is clearly increasing. But the control group, the average results of students in two phases: before and after the test is almost similar to each other and almost identical and no difference together ). 4-5 June 2013, Penang, MALAYSIA. Organized by WorldConferences.net 499

5 Changes in mean scores on emotional intelligence and stress management skills than subjects trained with 170, 57/respectively. - Changes in mean scores on emotional intelligence and the control group equal to 38 /45 respectively. Therefore, variations and increasing emotional intelligence group student trained with the skills, stress management skills), stage of education than students in control of more and higher. So that the mean EI group knowledge trained students with the skills (stress management skills) is clearly increasing, but the control group, the mean total EI students may find a slight increase in the test. Acknowledgement This research was supported university of Malays. The authors would like to give special thanks to staff members of Rodeheen Azad universities in north Tehran ). 4-5 June 2013, Penang, MALAYSIA. Organized by WorldConferences.net 500

6 References Bar-On, R. (2002). EQ-i Bar-On Quotient Inventory: Technical manual. North Tonawanda, MY: MHS. (Dehshery2002 ),Besharat et al.(2010). Relationship between anger and emotional intelligence on Students. Iran s Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Quarterly, 49. Schutte, N., Schuett pelz, E., & Malouff, J. M. (2000). intelligence and task performance. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 20, Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. (2000). intelligence as Zemotional intelligencetgemotional intelligencest, as personality, and as a mental ability. In R. Bar-On & J. D. A. Parker (Eds.), The Handbook of Intelligence. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Greenberg, M. T., & Kusche, C. A., & Riggs, N. (2004). The PATHS curriculum: Theory and research on neurocognitive development and school success. Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. (2000). intelligence as emotional intelligence emotional intelligence as personality, and as a mental ability. In R. Bar-On & J. D. A. Parker (Eds.), The Handbook of Intelligence. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass ). 4-5 June 2013, Penang, MALAYSIA. Organized by WorldConferences.net 501

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