Are emotionally intelligent people happier? A meta‐analysis of the relationship between emotional intelligence and subjective well‐being using Chinese samples

Abstract

To assess an overall correlation between emotional intelligence (EI) and subjective well‐being (SWB) within Chinese culture, accounting for possible moderating factors, we conducted a meta‐analysis of 119 correlations obtained from 62 studies with a total sample size of 29,922. The results uncovered a moderately positive correlation, r = .32, 95% CI [0.29, 0.36], p < .001, between EI and SWB. The strength of the correlation was moderated by EI stream, SWB component, participant’s age, and participant’s employment status. Specifically, this association was stronger when EI was measured as self‐report mixed EI, r = .49, and self‐report ability EI, r = .32, than when it was measured as performance‐based ability EI, r = .08. In addition, EI was more strongly associated with the cognitive components of SWB, r = .32, than with the affective component of SWB, r = .29, and the EI–SWB association was stronger in adults, r = .33, than in adolescents, r = .25. Furthermore, EI was more closely related to SWB in working adults, r = .43, compared to students, r = .29, and EI was almost equally associated with SWB across males and females, β = −.08, p = .55. The results, as well as their theoretical and practical implications, are discussed in detail with reference to relevant cross‐cultural theories and comparative empirical findings.