Perceived emotional intelligence and subjective well-being during adolescence: The moderating effect of age and sex

Abstract

Studies focusing on subjective well-being during adolescence are relatively scarce yet necessary, due to the drop in well-being that occurs during this developmental stage. The aim of the present study is therefore: (1) to analyze the variability of perceived emotional intelligence (PEI) and subjective well-being in accordance with sex and age; and (2) to explore the moderating effect of sex and age on the association between PEI and subjective well-being. The sample comprised 1542 students aged between 11 and 18 years, divided into two age groups: younger (11–14 years) and older (15–18 years). All participants completed the Trait Meta Mood Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Several ANOVAs and MANOVAs were performed using the SPSSv.28 statistical package. The simple moderation models were analyzed using the PROCESSv.4 macro. Age was the socio-personal variable that most significantly affected emotion repair and life satisfaction, whereas sex had a greater effect on the other variables studied. Sex moderated the predictive effect of emotional clarity on negative affect among girls, the predicted the effect of emotional attention on positive affect among boys, as well as the predictive effect of emotional clarity on life satisfaction in both groups. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.