Emotional intelligence training program for adolescents involved in intensive training centers

Abstract

This study aimed to design and evaluate an emotional intelligence (EI) training program for adolescents involved in intensive sport training centers. A total of 31 young elite table-tennis players received EI training through six sessions and a recall period across a competitive season. The athletes completed (1) a self-reported questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of the program to assess intra-individual and inter-individual EI; and (2) a logbook twice a month during a period of 6 months including emotion regulation strategies (ERS), cognitive appraisals, and discrete emotions. The results highlighted an increased level of intra-individual EI, especially for understanding and regulation dimensions. Moreover, multilevel growth curve analyses (MGCAs) revealed adaptive changes for the reported levels of acceptance, refocus on planning, positive reappraisal, average less-adaptive ERS, self-blame, and catastrophizing strategies. These findings support a beneficial effect of the program on ERS. However, the analyses revealed limited results for discrete emotions. Finally, MGCAs also revealed adaptive trajectories in the scores of cognitive appraisals and thus provided further evidence of the benefits of the EI program on threat, challenge, and loss levels. In sum, this interventional study adds to a growing body of EI literature by proposing a theoretically based intervention for adolescents involved in a competitive and emotionally demanding environment.

Lay summary: The emotional intelligence is now recognized as a crucial factor to success in competitive sport. It appears crucial to develop these competences among youth athletes which are exposed to various constraints. This study confirms that the emotional intelligence (as some emotion regulation strategies) can be improved with short and adapted interventions.

Acknowledgment

The authors acknowledge the participation of the athletes and the coaches.

Notes

1 Emotional intelligence is also regarded as emotional competences in an undifferentiated way to define the same construct (Brasseur et al., 2013).

2 A retention-test measure (post-test +3 months) was initially planned in the study design. However, the training centers were suspended because of the COVID-19 crisis, thus this measurement point could not be included.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the French Federation of Table Tennis (FFTT).