title: Mapping the protective pathway of emotional intelligence in youth: From social cognition to smoking intentions.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to test perceptions of the social consequences of smoking as a mediator of the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and intentions to smoke cigarettes among youth. Upper elementary school students (N= 255,Mage= 10.9 years, 49% male) completed measures of EI, verbal intelligence, smoking-related intentions, past behavior, and perceived social consequences. Mediation was tested using the Sobel test. Perceived social consequences was a marginally significant mediator of the impact of total EI on intentions to smoke (Z= 1.91,p= .057). Follow-up analyses showed that perceived social consequences significantly mediated the effect of 2 EI abilities on smoking intentions: using emotions (Z= 2.02,p= .043) and managing emotions (Z= 2.28,p= .023). The results indicate that the role of higher EI in deterring smoking among youth may be related to social processing ability (i.e., greater perceptions of the negative social consequences of smoking). These findings contribute to a growing body of research demonstrating that EI may reduce cigarette smoking among youth by influencing their social perceptions.
authors.affiliation: Health, Emotion, and Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Yale University, P.O. Box 208205, New Haven, CT 06520-8205, United States.
authors.forename: Lindsay R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: Michelle C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bertoli
authors.forename: Amy E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Latimer-Cheung
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rivers
authors.forename: Marc A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Brackett
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salovey
keywords: Children; Emotional intelligence; Smoking; Social perception
references.citation: Addict Behav. 2007 Aug;32(8):1546-54
references.pmid: 17188818
references.citation: Annu Rev Psychol. 2008;59:507-36
references.pmid: 17937602