Emotional intelligence and acculturation to the United States: interactions on the perceived social consequences of smoking in early adolescents.
High emotional intelligence (EI) is associated with decreased adolescent smoking. Acculturation to the United States is a risk factor for adolescent smoking. High EI may buffer the relationship between acculturation to the United States and perceptions of the social consequences of smoking (PSC). Emotional intelligence is the ability to: accurately perceive, appraise, and express emotion; access and/or generate feelings in facilitating thought; understand emotion and emotional knowledge; and regulate emotions. Emotional intelligence (measured by the Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale, Adolescent Version), acculturation, and PSC were assessed in 2001 from 416 Southern California sixth graders (47% boys; mean age = 11.3 yrs; 32% Hispanic/ Latino, 29% Asian/Pacific Islander, 13% White, 19% Multiethnic, 6% Other). There was a significant EI x US acculturation interaction (p < 0.01) suggesting that those with high EI perceived more social consequences associated with smoking. As the U.S. population becomes increasingly diversified, identifying protective variables and designing effective prevention programs for adolescents of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds becomes important.
Trinidad
Dennis R
DR
Cancer Prevention and Control Program, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA. dtrinidad@ucsd.edu
Unger
Jennifer B
JB
Chou
Chih-Ping
CP
Johnson
C Anderson
CA
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012938:Social Perception; D014481:United States