CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.2 RATIONALE AND AIM OF THIS RESEARCH
Academic achievement is influenced by a multitude of complexly related factors, most of which seem to be non-cognitive. It is argued here that one of the most significant of these non-cognitive factors is a student’s positive affective states that, according to the Broaden
and Buid Theory of Positive Emotions (Fredrickson, 1998), could allow them to build lasting
personal resources such as self-esteem (Lucas et al., 1996), psychological well-being (Fredrickson & Joiner, 2002) and life satisfaction (Ojeda et al., 2011). Furthermore the
Conservations of Resources Theory (Hobfoll, 1989) explains that individuals with limited
personal resources available to them (e.g. low self-efficacy) are at a disadvantage as they can become deprived of future resources that will negatively impact on their success and well- being.
In this study it is argued that higher EI may enable individuals to experience more frequent positive affect (Mayer & Salovey, 1997) while also acting as a powerful resource reservoir that enables individuals to build additional personal resources such as ASL, ASE (Hen & Goroshit, 2012) and well-being (Görgens-Ekermans & Brand, 2012) which are all critical for student success. First year students may therefore benefit much from developing their EI capabilities, with great emphasis on the management and control of their emotional states. Given the rationale for this research, the following research questions were formulated: 1. Emotional Intelligence
Can EI be developed? Will an individual’s EI score increase after participating in the EI training programme? If an individual’s EI score does increase after the training programme, will the heightened EI score be sustained over a period of time?
2. Academic Self-leadership
Is EI positively associated with ASL? Will ASL improve after an individual participates in the EI training programme? If ASL improves after the intervention, can this improvement be sustained over a period of time?
3. Affect Balance
Can the development of EI facilitate an increase in positive affect as reflected in affect balance? Will an individual’s level of affect balance increase after participating in the EI training programme? If more frequent positive affect is experienced after the intervention – as evidenced by a better affect balance, can this improvement be sustained over a period of time?
4. Academic Self-Efficacy
Is EI positively associated with ASE? Will ASE improve after an individual participates in the EI training programme? If ASE improves after the intervention, can this improvement be sustained over a period of time?
5. Perceived stress
Is EI negatively associated with perceived stress? Will perceived stress decrease after an individual participates in the EI training programme? If perceived stress levels improve after the intervention (i.e. lower stress levels), can this improvement be sustained over a period of time?
3.2.2 Research Aims
The primary aim of this study was to conduct a controlled experimental design that presented an EI training intervention to first-year students enrolled at a tertiary educational institution (i.e. university). By conducting the intervention it was hypothesised that by developing student’s EI they will be better equipped to regulate their emotional states, leading to increased levels of positive affect which should facilitate higher ASE and well-being resulting in increased academic achievement and performance. Furthermore it was
hypothesised that EI and ASL (or at least the CTPS higher order factor of self-leadership) is reciprocally related8, and that by developing an individual’s EI, their ASL skills will also increase, ultimately contributing to their academic performance and success. This study is unique as it is the first notable South African study, to the knowledge of the researcher, to investigate the usage of an EI training programme with the aim of enhancing student’s personal psychological resources, which could ultimately affect their academic performance. A second aim of this research was to investigate the inter-relationships between EI, positive affect, ASL, ASE and perceived stress within a South African sample, as a replication of previous research.
3.2.3 Evaluation of the EI Training Programme
Bases on the research questions presented above, the following research hypotheses were formulated.
Hypothesis 1: Emotional Intelligence
EI (total score, as well as scores on each of the four sub-dimensions9) will increase significantly following participation in the EI training programme.
Hypothesis 2: Academic Self-leadership
Total scores on the CTPS sub-scale of self-leadership will increase significantly following participation in the EI training Programme.
Hypothesis 3: Affect Balance
Affect Balance scores will increase significantly following participation in the EI training programme.
Hypothesis 4: Academic Self-efficacy
ASE (total score) will increase significantly following participation in the EI training programme.
Hypothesis 5: Stress
Perceived stress (total score) will decrease significantly following participation in the EI training programme.
8 This assumption was not tested empirically, as the calculation of a correlation does not indication causation,
nor the direction of possible causation.
9 The emotions direct control dimensions of the SUEIT did not form part of this study and was not included in
any of the analyses. Total EI scores were therefore calculated by summing subscale scores on the remaining four subscales.
3.2.4 General Relationships between Constructs
Further hypotheses were formulated to explore the relationships between EI, positive affect, CTPS, ASE and perceived stress in a South-African sample as a replication of previous research in this regard.
Hypothesis 6:
Significant positive relationships exist between total EI as measured by the SUEIT (Palmer & Stough, 2001) and the CTPS sub-scale of self-leadership, as measured by the revised self- leadership questionnaire RSLQ (Houghton & Neck, 2002) at T1, T2, and T3.
Hypothesis 7:
Significant positive relationships exist between total EI as measured by the SUEIT (Palmer & Stough, 2001) and affect balance as measured by the Scale of Positive and Negative Experiences (i.e. SPANE, Diener, et al., 2009; 2010) at T1, T2, and T3.
Hypothesis 8:
Significant positive relationships exist between total EI as measured by the SUEIT (Palmer & Stough, 2001) and ASE (total score) as measured by the scale of Burger (2011) at T1, T2, and T3.
Hypothesis 9:
Significant negative relationships exist between total EI as measured by the SUEIT (Palmer & Stough, 2001) and perceived stress (total score) as measured by the perceived stress scale PSS (Cohen et al., 1983) at T1, T2, and T3.
Hypothesis 10:
Significant positive relationships exist between the CTPS sub-scale of self-leadership, as measured by the RSLQ (Houghton & Neck, 2002) and affect balance (total score) as measured by SPANE (Diener et al., 2009; 2010) at T1, T2, and T3.
Hypothesis 11:
Significant positive relationships exist between the CTPS sub-scale of self-leadership as measured by the RSLQ (Houghton & Neck, 2002) and ASE (total score) as measured by the scale by Burger (2011) at T1, T2, and T3.
Significant negative relationships exist between the CTPS sub-scale of self-leadership as measured by the RSLQ (Houghton & Neck, 2002) and perceived stress (total score) as measured by the PSS (Cohen et al., 1983) at T1, T2, and T3.
Hypothesis 13:
Significant negative relationships exist between affect balance as measured by the SPANE (Diener et al., 2009; 2010) and perceived stress as measured by the PSS (Cohen et al., 1983) at T1, T2, and T3.
Hypothesis 14:
Significant positive relationships exist between affect balance as measured by the SPANE (Diener et al., 2009; 2010) and ASE (total score) as measured by the scale by Burger (2011) at T1, T2, and T3.
Hypothesis 15:
Significant negative relationships exist between ASE (total score) as measured by the scale of Burger (2011) and perceived stress measured by the PSS (Cohen, et al., 1983) at T1, T2, and T3.