Do Combat Sports Develop Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence, neuroticism, and extroversion were studied in boxers, judokas, and non-athlete controls. The results based on the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale and Eysenck Personality Inventory showed that in understanding their own emotions boxers scored higher than judokas and controls (effect sizes d=.72, and .47). In appraising others’ emotions boxers and judokas did not differ from each other but both scored higher than non-athletes (d=56 and d=.54). In using and controlling emotions boxers scored higher than judokas (d=1.3 and d=.68, respectively) who scored higher than non-athletes (d=1.0 and d=.55, respectively). In the current study the boxers have exhibited the lowest neuroticism (d=1.6 vs. judokas and d=2.0 vs. controls). The two groups of combat athletes have reported higher extroversion than controls (d=1.2, boxers, and d=1.3, judokas). Since in the current study the ability-linked emotional intelligence was studied, it may be concluded that boxing, and combat sports in general, may foster its development.