Does Emotional Intelligence Moderate the Relationship between Satisfaction in Specific Domains and Life Satisfaction?

Abstract

Research has shown that individuals experience higher satisfaction with life when they are satisfied with their jobs, with their social environment, and with themselves. Also, independent of their life situations, individuals with higher emotional intelligence tend to feel higher life satisfaction. It remains unclear, however, the question of whether personal experiences and personality traits interact. This paper, therefore, examines the hypotheses that: 1) Life satisfaction is predicted by the satisfaction experienced in specific domains such as: job, social environment, and self, and by emotional intelligence. 2) Emotional intelligence moderates the relation between the satisfaction experienced in those three context-specific areas and the general satisfaction with life. To test these hypotheses, we surveyed 2,233 adults and university post-graduate students participanting in various courses in Cataluña and Aragón. Regression analysis showed that the three context-specific dimensions of satisfaction and emotional intelligence explain 54% of life satisfaction. Emotional intelligence moderated the relation between satisfaction with self and life satisfaction, and between satisfaction with the social environment and life satisfaction.