Journal of Research The Bede Athenaeum

Emotional intelligence (EI) plays a crucial role in enhancing general mental ability by improving stress management, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills. A high level of EI fosters self-awareness and motivation, enabling individuals to approach challenges with confidence and resilience. This study aimed to examine the impact of emotional intelligence on general mental abilities among college students. The research was conducted on a sample of 300 undergraduate students, divided into three groups: 100 students from the Art of Living Program (Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) practitioners), 100 National Cadet Corps (NCC) participants, and 100 students in a control group. Each group was further divided into two equal subgroups based on gender, with 50 students in each. To collect data, the Emotional Intelligence Scale (Singh & Narain, 2014) and the Group Test of General Mental Ability (GMAT) (Jalota & Tondon, 1971) were used. Pearson’s product-moment correlation was applied to analyze the relationship between the variables. The findings revealed a positive and significant correlation between understanding emotions (p<.01) and handling relationships (p<.05) with general mental ability among college students. There was no significant correlation found in both male and female students. Additionally, female students from the Art of Living program (SKY Practitioner) group showed a significant correlation between empathy (p<.05) and general mental ability, while female students in the NCC group demonstrated a significant correlation between handling relationships (p<.05) and general mental ability. However, no significant correlation was observed in males of AOL program (SKY Practitioner) and NCC group and no significant correlation was observed either male or female students from the control group.