The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Emotion Regulation: A Meta-Analysis

Emotional intelligence reflects individuals’ capacities to perceive, understand, and manage emotions, and emotion regulation involves the behaviours people use to influence their emotional experiences. This meta-analysis ( n = 111 studies, k = 911 effects) examined associations between emotional intelligence and the tendency to use 20 common regulation processes. Ability EI (measured by ability tests) was positively associated with direct situation modification only. Self-report EI (measured by self-report scales) was positively associated with adaptive processes (direct situation modification, positive reappraisal, deep acting, seeking help), negatively associated with maladaptive processes (avoidance, catastrophizing, denial, self-blame, expressive suppression, surface acting, substance use), and positively associated with distraction and religious coping. Measurement type moderated these associations. Self-report EI showed stronger effects than ability EI for direct situation modification, positive reappraisal, seeking help, distraction, and religious coping. Among self-report EI measures, those based on ability models showed stronger associations with acceptance and distraction than those based on mixed models. Overall, emotionally intelligent individuals tend to habitually use more adaptive and fewer maladaptive emotion regulation processes, with a tendency toward actively engaging with rather than avoiding or disengaging from their emotions and the problems. These associations are meaningfully affected by the measurement approach of emotional intelligence.