Cognitive-Social Sources of Wellbeing: Differentiating the Roles of Coping Style, Social Support and Emotional Intelligence

Social support and coping are reliably associated with wellbeing during adolescence, but it is unclear whether relationships between these constructs and affect are inter-related or independent. Emotional intelligence (EI) also correlates with greater wellbeing, but the key processes supporting the association are likewise uncertain. This study aimed to compare support and coping as predictors of wellbeing and stress using structural equation modeling to test alternate latent factor models. It also aimed to test how EI, measured as an ability, might influence the constructs. Data were collected from 203 Israeli high-school students. Modeling suggested that social support was a stronger influence than coping style on wellbeing, although avoidance coping made a unique contribution to lower wellbeing. EI was associated with social support, but not coping or outcome. It is concluded that social support is critical for wellbeing, over and above coping, consistent with theoretical perspectives that emphasize the importance of social engagement in adolescence. Ability EI appears to have only a modest influence on emotional functioning during adolescence.