Benue State University, Makurdi

Effect of Emotional Intelligence and Gender on Coping Attitude of IDPs in Abuja

Emmanuel E. Uzodinma, Osolafia E. Muhammad and Hauwa Pate Sadiq

Abstract

The study investigated Emotional Intelligence and Gender as predictors of two coping strategies (Religious and Emotional-focused) amongst Internally Displaced Persons' (IDPs). Data were collected using two revalidated psychometric instruments; Brief COPE Inventory and Schutte Self-report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT). Four hypotheses which were directly linked with the research objectives were tested using multiple regression analysis. The results showed that emotional intelligence did not significantly predict religious coping among IDPs (β = .052, p> .05, t = .454). Therefore, the first hypothesis was rejected. Male IDPs were higher in religious coping scores than their female counterparts (β = .47, p< .05, t = 9.19). Therefore, the second hypothesis was accepted. However, in the third hypotheses, the results showed that emotional intelligence significantly inversely predicted emotional support coping among IDPs (β = .127, p< .05, t = -2.49) implying that high emotional intelligence results to low emotional support coping. Similarly, female IDPs were higher in emotional support coping scores than their male counterparts (β = -.46, p< .05, t = -9.03). Therefore, the fourth hypothesis was accepted. The study recommends that therapist should be gender sensitive when handling IDPs with low emotional intelligence and religion should be considered a significant factor for male IDPs.

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