Emotional intelligence and romantic relationship satisfaction: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The present study provides a quantitative summary of findings on the correlation between emotional intelligence and romantic relationship satisfaction as well as an examination of possible moderating variables for this correlation. The final sample of 90 effect sizes from 78 samples included a comprehensive set of studies measuring emotional intelligence and relationship satisfaction, relationship quality, or marital adjustment among individuals in a romantic relationship. Results of the analysis showed a mean estimated zr of 0.392 (95% confidence interval = 0.338, 0.447), reflecting a mean estimated correlation of 0.373. Location of testing, internal consistency of the emotional intelligence scale, relationship satisfaction measure type (adjustment, quality, or satisfaction), and relationship status (married, unmarried, mix) were significant moderators of the effect sizes. The discussion notes the implications of present findings in the context of emotional intelligence training in couple therapy. We also emphasize avenues for future work, such as the use of measures of emotional intelligence with high internal consistency and examining more closely the potential role of gender equality in a cross-cultural perspective.