| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 890813 | Personality and Individual Differences | 2013 | 6 Pages |
•Examined emotional intelligence and addiction-related behaviours in adolescent outpatients and special needs students.•A dysfunctional preoccupation latent variable accounted for half the variability in addiction-related behaviours.•Emotional intelligence was a moderate predictor of dysfunctional preoccupation in both groups.•Adolescent boys scored higher on problem gaming and gambling behaviours than girls.
The study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and several addiction-related behaviours (gambling problems, Internet abuse, and computer gaming misuse) in two adolescent samples: 270 clinical outpatients (180 males and 90 females) and 256 special needs students (160 males and 96 females). Gambling problems, Internet abuse, and computer gaming misuse were positively inter-correlated in both samples; approximately half of the variability in these addiction-related behaviours could be accounted for by a common dysfunctional preoccupation latent variable. Latent variable path analysis found emotional intelligence to be a moderate predictor of dysfunctional preoccupation in both adolescent samples.
