Building Emotional Intelligence: A Psychological Intervention for Middle-school Students

Description

Page: 87-93

Nidhi Malik¹, Mitu Rohatgi², and Neetu Dalal³ (Department of Psychology, Indraprastha College For Women, University of Delhi^1,2 and Department of Psychology, Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi³)

This study aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an emotional intelligence (EI) intervention program for middle-school students, based on Mayer and Salovey’s Ability Model of Emotional Intelligence. The program was designed to enhance EI competencies through a series of icebreakers, activities, lessons, and storytelling, and was implemented with 206 eighth-grade students (116 males, 90 females) from a government school. EI was assessed using an ability-based EI measure within a pre-post research design, with scores analyzed through paired t-tests. The results revealed a statistically significant increase in EI scores from pre-test to post-test (p < 0.001), demonstrating the program’s effectiveness in boosting emotional intelligence. These findings underscore the potential of structured EI interventions in cultivating emotional competencies in children. The study contributes to the growing body of research on EI development and offers practical insights for designing programs that foster interpersonal skills and emotional well-being in middle-school students.