Parenting styles and trait emotional intelligence in adolescence

The existence of individual differences in trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) makes the investigation of factors that contribute to such variations critical. Given the paucity of research in this area, the purpose of this study was the examination of the relationship between parenting styles and trait EI in an adolescent population. The sample of our study consisted of 127 adolescents (M age = 16.4, SD = 0.96; 42.2% female) from Greek schools, 15-19 years old, who were asked to complete questionnaires of perceived parenting (Parental Authority Questionnaire - PAQ) and trait EI (Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Adolescent Short Form - TEIQue-ASF). The estimation of the association between parenting scores and trait EI was based on a multivariable mixed-effects regression model. An association between parenting styles and trait EI, statistically significant for authoritativeness (b = 0.27, z = 3.92, p < 0.001) and marginally significant for authoritarianism (b = -0.10, z = -1.77, p = 0.08), emerged even after controlling for a set of potential predictors of trait EI. Additionally, statistically significant associations of adolescents' gender (b = -0.29, z = -2.37, p = 0.02) and parental education (b = 0.32, z = 2.54, p = 0.01) with trait EI were found. These findings provide insight in the field of trait EI antecedents and underline the potential significance of primary prevention programs with parents that aim to develop trait EI at a young age.