Assessing emotional intelligence and personality characteristics among university athletes / Nur Afifah Saufi

Emotional intelligence is a combination of human qualities that represents an individual's emotional experiences and intelligence's adaptability. On another hand, personality describes human ideas, feelings, and behaviours to characterize an individual. It considers both common characteristics and distinctive features when assessing personality. Researchers have examined emotional intelligence and personality traits in detail as they are two connected notions. 310 university athletes (N= 156 males, N= 154 females) aged 19 to 31 and older, from five separate campuses make up the responders. Universities' emotional intelligence and personality traits were assessed using the USM Emotional Quotient Inventory (USMEQ-i) and the NEO-FiveFactor Inventory-3 (NEO-FFI-3). The study hypotheses were examined using Pearson's correlation to determine the emotional intelligence and personality of university athletes, as well as an independent t-test to look at gender disparities. The results of the study show the university athletes have high level of emotional control, emotional maturity, emotional conscientiousness and average level of emotional expression, emotional commitment, emotional fortitude, and emotional awareness. Meanwhile, for personality, results shows that average level of extraversion and openness, low level of neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Then, focusing on gender discrepancies, the results show that no significant difference between emotional fortitude compared between genders for emotional intelligence. Meanwhile, for agreeableness show significant results in term of gender. Hence, the relationship between emotional intelligence and personality (p<0.05) significant differences for extraversion with emotional commitment, emotional maturity and emotional control. In general, personality and emotional intelligence are two significant ideas that are interconnected. To increase our chances of success and happiness in life, it is essential to understand and develop our personalities as well as our emotional intelligence.