Emotional Intelligence in University Students of the Program of Psychology: Differences Between the First and the Last Course

previous research showed the importance of Emotional Intelligence (OE) in the professional field, especially in the adaptation and success of psychologists. The aim of this study was to find the differences in IE between psychology students in their first and last year. The sample consisted of 90 first-year students (18.37 +/- 2.06 years; 80 % women) and 90 final year students (20.54 +/- 1.28 years; 76 % women). The IE (i.e., perception, understanding, management and total (IE) was evaluated using the Mobile Emotional Intelligence Test. The main findings indicated that the fourth-year students of the Psychology program had significantly higher scores in the management dimension (104.8 vs. 97.5; p = .019), as well as in their total IE (107.1 vs. 101.4; p = .011) compared to their first-year classmates. At the end of the document the importance of developing IE in psychology students is discussed.