Emotional intelligence and academic motivation in high school students with adequate grade point average

Introduction: In many populations and school grades, the academic performance has been compared in students according to their sex. Emotional intelligence has been related to academic performance, however even in students with adequate grade point average, this and other variables such as motivation, could be involved. The objective was to evaluate the relationship between emotional intelligence and academic motivation in men and women students with adequate grade point average.Method: We performed a cross sectional study in 119 high school students (75 women and 44 men) from the Universidad De La Salle Bajio. The Emotional Quotient Inventory in its Version for Adolescents was applied. In each participant the average educational school level and academic performance was obtained.Results: In women higher grade point average and academic performance but lower stress management and general mood than in men were found. Academic motivation (r=0.24; p= 0.008), stress management (r=0.18; p= 0.05), adaptability (r=0.19; p= 0.03) and total emotional quotient (r=0.19; p= 0.03) were positively related to academic performance, while age was negative related to academic performance (r=-0.23; p= 0.01). Academic motivation was the only variable related to both, grade point average (r=0.21; p= 0.02) and academic performance in the entire group. In men, no variables related to grade point average were found. However, academic motivation (r=0.35; p= 0.02), interpersonal intelligence (r=0.33; p= 0.02), stress management (r=0.32; p= 0.03), adaptability (r=0.52; p= 0.0001), general mood (r=0.40; p= 0.006), positive impression (r=0.31; p= 0.04) and total emotional quotient (r=0.43; p= 0.003) were all positively related to academic performance. In women only stress management was related to grade point average and academic performance (r=0.23 and r= 0.24; p=0.04 in both cases), respectively.Discussion or Conclusion: The results show higher academic performance in women than in men, even in those students with adequate academic performance. Emotional intelligence participates in different mode by sex in high school students and only stress management seems to be related to academic performance in women. So, these results are useful to focus on programs and counselling in this population to increase emotional competences and academic motivation.