ADOLESCENCE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: IMPACT OF AGE AND GENDER

Abstract

Our study investigated the impact of gender and age on the emotional intelligence (EI) 
among adolescents in Anambra State, Nigeria. Despite increasing literature on adolescent 
EI, findings regarding the influence of age and gender remain inconclusive, particularly 
within the Nigerian context. We employed the descriptive survey design, sampling 417 
senior secondary school students aged between 12–21 years across six educational zones 
in Anambra State. The Indigenous Emotional Intelligence Scale (IEIS) was employed to 
collect data. T-test and ANOVA were used to analyze the data collected and hypotheses 
were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. Our findings revealed no significant differences 
in the EI mean scores between male and female adolescents across all seven dimensions 
of EI (interpersonal, empathy, stress tolerance, optimism, assertiveness, problem-solving 
and flexibility). Age, on the other hand, significantly impacted three dimensions of EI - 
optimism, assertiveness, and flexibility. Regarding this, middle aged adolescents (15–17 
years) scored significantly higher than early adolescents (12–14 years) in these three 
domains. We concluded that whereas age is a significant factor in the development of 
certain EI dimensions, gender may not be a significant factor. Implications of the findings 
and recommendations were highlighted.