Trait and Ability Emotional Intelligence and Its Impact on Sports Performance of Athletes

Contributions of one hypothetical model of predictive relationships between psychological skills and emotional intelligence in university student-athletes: A cross-sectional study

Psychological skills are considered in sport psychology as indispensable capabilities to analyze the athlete's own vision of his or her own personality. These skills encompass self-confidence, positive and negative coping control, attentional control, visual-imaginative control, motivational level, and attitudinal control. The significance of this research lies in demonstrating the relationship established between each of the dimensions of emotional intelligence and the constituent skills of the personality. As such, this study aims to investigate the relationship between the seven factors related to psychological skills and emotional intelligence (attention, clarity, and emotional regulation). The sample comprises 163 university students pursuing degrees in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, [70,9% (N = 117) men and 27.9% (N = 46) women] with a mean age of 20.33 years. As assessment instruments, we used two validated and standardized scales, the IPED and the TMMS-24. The main findings of this work allow us to affirm the existence of a relationship between the three dimensions of emotional intelligence and the control of both positive and negative coping, attentional control, visual-imaginative control, motivational level, and attitudinal control. In conclusion, this study underscores the necessity of cognitive and emotional training, in addition to physical training, to enhance these skills among both male and female athletes.

Intrinsic Motivation: Knowledge, Achievement, and Experimentation in Sports Science Students-Relations with Emotional Intelligence

In this paper, we have focused on the Self-Determination Theory, paying special attention to intrinsic motivation, which is understood as the motivation that leads the subject to perform a task without the expectation of obtaining an external reward. In the field of sport, motivation is one of the most studied variables and one of the most researched, since it is closely related to the reasons that lead the athletes to start, maintain, and abandon sports practice. The main objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between intrinsic motivation (IM) and emotional intelligence from the theoretical contributions of the Self-Determination Theory. The specific objectives are to analyze attention, clarity, and emotional regulation, as well as intrinsic motivation to acquire knowledge. Additionally, we aim to explore the relationship between attention, clarity, and emotional regulation and the intrinsic motivation to achieve something. Lastly, we investigate the correspondence between attention, clarity, and emotional regulation and the intrinsic motivation to experience stimuli. The sample consists of 163 undergraduate and master's students related to Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, studying at a Spanish public university, located in the southeast region of Andalusia-specifically, in the city of Almería. The participants had a mean age of 20.33 years. In terms of gender, 70.9% (n = 117) were men and 27.9% (n = 46) women. In terms of degree, 76.7% (n = 147) were undergraduate students and 23.3% (n = 18) were postgraduate students. The Sports Motivation Scale (SMS/EMD) was used to assess intrinsic motivation, and the TMMS-24 was used to assess emotional intelligence. The main findings of this research demonstrate the existence of a relationship between the three dimensions of emotional intelligence (emotional attention, emotional clarity, and emotional regulation) and intrinsic motivation (intrinsic motivation to know something, intrinsic motivation to achieve something, and intrinsic motivation to experience stimulation). These findings emphasize the importance of emotional intelligence for intrinsic motivation.

The development of the Chinese version of the Sports Emotional Intelligence Scale

Objective

To revise and test the Chinese version of the Sports Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS) in sports situations.

Materials and methods

After pretesting 112 college students, 832 college students were formally tested, and item analysis, validity test, internal consistency reliability analysis, and calibration validity and equivalence test of the Chinese version of the SEIS were performed. The Chinese version of the SEIS had 14 items with four dimensions (evaluation of others’ emotions, self-emotional management, emotion use, and social skills), with a cumulative variance contribution of 57.812 percent; the four-factor measurement model fit well (χ2/df = 3.743, NFI = 0.917, GFI = 0.945, AFGI = 0.913, CFI = 0.926, and RMSEA = 0.062). The internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach’s α) of the Chinese version of the SEIS ranged from 0.824 to 0. 905, and the split-half reliability ranged from 0.807 to 0.891; the correlations between the total SEIS score and its dimensional scores and the calibration variables were significantly correlated (p < 0.05), ranging from 0.255 to 0.603. The gender measure equivalence test was valid, and the mean difference of potential variables across gender groups was not significant in the potential mean analysis.

Conclusion

The Chinese version of the SEIS has good reliability and validity, and it is appropriate for assessing emotional intelligence in sports situations.

Effects of an intervention programme designed to improve emotional intelligence and foster the use of coping strategies among professional female football players

The aim of the present study was to analyse the effects of a socioemotional competence development programme entitled ‘Aurrera neskak’ among professional female football players. Participants were 37 female footballers, of which 51% were assigned to the experimental group and 49% to the control group. A quasi-experimental design was used, with repeated pretest-posttest measures. The programme comprised 20 sessions, each lasting 90 min and focusing on four content areas: emotional awareness, personal autonomy, emotion regulation and team skills. The Trait Emotional Intelligence and the Sport Coping Approximation questionnaires were administered before and after the intervention. The results of the analyses reveal that, following the intervention, players perceived positive effects in terms of emotion expression and perception, used coping strategies such as emotional calming and behavioural risk more frequently, and mental withdrawal (a maladaptive strategy) less frequently, during competitions. The results were positive in that they attest to the both trainability of socioemotional competences and their influence on coping styles during competitions among professional female football players.

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We examine the effect on a socioemotional competence development program in Spanish professional female football players.

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The ‘Aurrera neskak’ program favors players ‘emotion expression and perception.

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The ‘Aurrera neskak’ program promotes a greater use of coping strategies, such as emotional calming and behavioural risk.

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The players who participated in the ‘Aurrera neskak’ program used mental withdrawalless frequently during competitions.