Formation of Life Meaning Orientations Among Students with Different Levels of Emotional Intelligence

Introduction. The study examines the relationship between the level of emotional intelligence (EI) and life meaning orientations among students. The relevance of the work is determined by the current interest in psychology regarding the role of EI as a resource for personal meaning regulation, while empirical data on its influence on the characteristics of the meaning sphere in the student environment remain insufficient. Objective . To study the features of life meaning orientations among students with different levels of emotional intelligence. Materials and Methods. The study involved 154 students from universities in Rostov-on-Don, Novocherkassk, and Stavropol aged 17 to 29 years (average age – 24.6 years; 73% women, 27% men). The following diagnostic tools were used: questionnaire, Life Meaning Orientations (LMO) test by J. Crumbaugh and L. Maholick (adapted by D.A. Leontyev), and EmIn emotional intelligence questionnaire by D.V. Lyusin. Data processing was carried out using non-parametric methods of mathematical statistics (Shapiro-Wilk test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient). Results. Statistically significant differences in the general level of life meaningfulness (LM) were found between all groups according to the Mann-Whitney U-test (p ≤ 0.01). In the high EI group, 70% of respondents clearly understand the global purpose of life, 97% understand the meaning of their activities, 83% receive joy and energy from it, and 84% see meaning in their own mistakes. In the low EI group, the corresponding indicators were 43%, 78%, 55%, and 65%. The consistency of values and goals as a factor in life management was noted by 94% of respondents with high EI and 65% with low EI. According to the LMO method, the high EI group showed high scores on the scales of “Life Goals”, “Life Results”, and “Life Control Locus”, while the low and medium EI groups showed average scores on most scales. Discussion. The results confirm that emotional intelligence is a significant psychological resource associated with clarity of life goals, the ability to find meaning in various aspects of experience, and greater life satisfaction. The obtained data are consistent with the results of foreign studies indicating a positive relationship between EI and life meaning.