Emotional skills in adolescents’ attitudes towards diversity: Regression models vs qualitative comparative analysis models

Abstract

Promoting tolerance of diversity in schools is essential for improving students’ mental health outcomes and has an impact on their quality of life. There are sociodemographic and emotional variables (empathy and emotional intelligence) that seem to be related to being more tolerant of personal diversity, whether due to culture, political ideas, social class or physical or psychological conditions. A transversal study was conducted to examine these relationships, using hierarchical regression models (HRM) and qualitative comparative analysis of fuzzy sets (fsQCA) with a convenience sample of 1069 adolescents from six Spanish schools (47.4% were male). The inclusion criteria were studying in the selected compulsory secondary education or high schools. The parents voluntarily signed the informed consent so that the students could participate. The participants completed self-reported questionnaires to evaluate their tolerance to diversity the Diversity Tolerance Scale and the Trait of Meta-Mood Scale 24 were used to measure emotional intelligence, and the Basic Empathy Scale to assess empathy. The results suggest the emotional intelligence variable, specifically emotional repair, is more predictive of tolerance for diversity in adolescents. In the fsQCA model, the interaction of sex, emotional repair and emotional empathy is better predictor for a tolerant attitude. Finally, the development of emotional skills intervention programmes for adolescents will have a direct and positive impact on tolerance of diversity in schools. These findings are important and useful because tolerance of diversity in the classroom seem to have a positive effect on the reduction of prejudice or discrimination, promoting more inclusive environments.