Investigating the emotional intelligence of adolescents with and without disabilities

Investigating the Emotional Intelligence of Adolescents With and Without Disabilities by Leota Tucker Dr. Susan Miller, Examination Committee Chair Professor of Special Education University of Nevada, Las Vegas This study involved an investigation of the emotional intelligence profiles of three groups of adolescents: those with learning disabilities, those with an emotional disturbances, and adolescents without disabilities. A 2 (gender) X 3 (group) X 4 (subscale) mixed design with repeated measures on subscale was used to determine whether differences in emotional intelligence, as measured by the BarOn EQi.YV, existed among these three groups of adolescents. Specifically, performance within the four subscales of intrapersonal, interpersonal, stress management and adaptability as well as in the overall composite scores were compared to detect differences between gender, and disability groups. A total of 66 middle and high school students (38 males and 28 females) participated in this study, of these 66 participants, 33 had learning disabilities, 14 had emotional disturbances, and 19 had no disability. The participants ranged in age from 13.0 years old to 18.7 years old.