Relationships between coping with daily stress, self-concept, social skills and emotional intelligence

Abstract

Few studies have been performed on strategies used for coping with daily stress and its associated factors, such as self-concept and emotional intelligence in this context. This study aims to analyse the relationship between strategies used for coping, as well as self-concept, social skills, and emotional intelligence. With this in mind, the study assessed the different strategies used for coping with daily stress, self-concept, social skills, and emotional intelligence. The sample consisted of a mixture of 154 secondary school pupils and students on other training courses. The results showed no statistically significant differences between students in secondary school education and those on training courses in relation to any of the variables in the study. Students with a greater use of productive coping strategies (i.e. active solutions, search for information and guidance, and positive attitude) scored higher in the self-concept academic variables, social skills and emotional intelligence. Inverse relationships were observed between academic self-concept and the strategy ‘indifference’, and between emotional intelligence (emotional repair) and aggressive behaviour. There are positive direct effects of social skills and some dimensions of self-concept in relation to the use of productive coping strategies, such as ‘search for information and guidance’. There are negative direct effects of social skills and self-concept in relation to unproductive coping strategies (social skills in aggressive behaviour and physical self-concept on behavioural avoidance).