Family Climate and Emotional Intelligence: The Differential Effects of Gender

The study aimed at exploring the relationship between family climate and emotional intelligence and to find out whether there is any significant difference due to gender in these variables. The participants were 60 boys and 60 girls (aged 16–17 yrs) of higher secondary level randomly chosen from the various schools in Trivandrum district. Family climate scale (FCS) and Emotional Intelligence Inventory (EII) were administered. The data were analysed using Pearson's product moment correlation and t-test. Correlation analysis revealed that among the sub components of family climate, parental affect and sibling relationship had significant positive relationship with emotional intelligence and its two sub dimensions, viz., personal efficacy and intrapersonal efficacy, whereas parental control component had a significant negative relationship. Parental harmony did not correlate with any of the dimensions of emotional intelligence. Similarly, Interpersonal efficacy was found to be independent of family climate. t-test results indicated that with regard to family climate, females were significantly higher than their male counterpart in paternal affect and sibling relationship whereas no significant gender difference was observed in the dimensions of emotional intelligence. The importance of family climate in ensuring emotional intelligence among thorughly adolescents is discussed and interpreted.