Investigating the Relationship Between Life Skills Dimensions and Anger With the Mediating Role of Emotional Self-Awareness
Keywords:
Anger, life skills, emotional self-awareness, university students, structural equation modelingAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between life skills dimensions and anger with the mediating role of emotional self-awareness among university students in Tehran.
Methods and Materials: This descriptive correlational study was conducted on a population of students from Tehran universities during the 2023–2024 academic year. Using the Krejcie and Morgan table, a sample of 443 students was selected via multistage cluster sampling. Instruments included the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2), the emotional self-awareness subscale of the SEIS, and the WHO Life Skills Questionnaire, focusing on five dimensions: problem-solving, stress management, empathy, effective communication, and self-awareness. Data were analyzed using SPSS-27 and AMOS-21.
Findings: Pearson correlation results showed significant negative relationships (p < 0.01) between all life skills dimensions and anger, and significant positive relationships with emotional self-awareness. Structural equation modeling indicated that emotional self-awareness significantly mediated the relationship between each life skill dimension and anger. Direct path coefficients ranged from β = 0.26 to β = 0.41 for the effect of life skills on emotional self-awareness, while the path from emotional self-awareness to anger was β = -0.30 (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The findings highlight that higher levels of life skills—particularly self-awareness—enhance emotional self-awareness and subsequently reduce anger. Educational interventions targeting these components could promote emotional regulation and healthier interpersonal relationships in student populations.
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