Differences in Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Self-Acceptance as Function of Gender and Ibasho (a Person Who Eases the Mind) of Japanese Undergraduates

The present study examined the differences in the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and self-acceptance as a function of gender and ibasho (ibasyo), a Japanese concept of 'home' or 'refuge'. Here, the ibasho represents the person who eases one's mind. The participants were 244 Japanese undergraduates who were asked to complete the Japanese version of the Emotional Intelligence Skills and Competence Questionnaire (J-ESCQ; Toyota, Morita, & Takšić, 2007), a question related to ibasho (Who is the person that eases the mind) and self-acceptance scales (Itatsu, 1989). Positive correlations between all sub-abilities in EI: (perceiving and understanding emotion (PU), expressing and labeling emotion (EL), managing and regulating emotion (MR), and self-acceptance) were found in females whereas in males, the only positive correlation was found between MR and self-acceptance. For participants who report that 'lover' is a person who eases their mind, PU has a negative correlation with self-acceptance. Both EL and MR have a strong correlation with self-acceptance in all types of groups. These results indicate that the effect of each sub-ability in EI on self-acceptance is determined by gender and the presence of the person who provides a sense of ibasho and also suggest that these determinants should be considered to clarify individual differences in adaptation.