Believe it or not, you can build very strong interpersonal relationships if you have high levels of emotional intelligence!
According to a study conducted by Fort Lauderdale at the Department of Behavioral Sciences in Nova Southeastern University, the more a person’s emotional intelligence is developed, the better he/she is able to build and maintain interpersonal relationships.
By definition, interpersonal relationships involve any sort of social association or affiliation between two or more humans.
Typical connections are importance because they fulfill basic human needs such as belongingness and nurturance. Add to the fact that the social support provided by interpersonal relationships lightens the negative effects of life stressors. Hence, they are vital for the human wellness and mental health
How is emotional intelligence related to strong interpersonal relationships?
High emotional intelligence means that the person has high empathic perspectives in social situations in addition to healthier social skills which facilitates relationship-building. Moreover, this individual will show advanced levels of cooperative responses towards their partners; correspondingly, develop more meaningful and affectionate relationships with them.
Other studies have also proven that emotional intelligence is positively correlated with marital satisfaction. That is to say, the more a couple nurtures EI in their marriage, the more they will be aware and will understand their and their partner’s emotions, and the better they will be able to manage these emotions in an empathetic, smart wat. Long story short, emotional intelligence positively affects one’s marital quality.
Relationships Between People with Different Levels of Emotional Intelligence
Although literature provides many tips and suggestions on how to do with people who have lower levels of emotional intelligence, initial studies on this concept mention that, usually, those who have high emotional intelligence prefer individuals with a similar level of EI. Same applies to those with lower levels of emotional intelligence.
But why?
Schutte et al. (2001) link this phenomenon to:
- the association between EI and the components of relationships,
- the connection between EI and measures of relationship quality.
Accordingly, the writers explain that individuals normally perceive people with higher emotional intelligence as more desirable partners. Thusly, they are better able to build strong, peaceful, successful, and close relationships with them.
Source
Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Bobik, C., Coston, T. D., Greeson, C., Jedlicka, C., Rhodes, E., Wendorf, G. (2001). Emotional Intelligence and Interpersonal Relations. The Journal of Social Psychology, 141(4), 523–536. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1080/00224540109600569?scroll=top&needAccess=true
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