ROLE OF RESILIENCE AS A MEDIATOR AND GENDER AS A MODERATOR IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND PERCEIVED STRESS AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF SOUTH PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Adolescents in Pakistan's underserved areas face increasing psychological pressures as a result of academic demands, socioeconomic challenges, and a lack of emotional support. This study looks into the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and perceived stress (PS) among high school students in South Punjab, using resilience as a mediator and gender as a moderator. A cross-sectional design was utilized using a sample of 309 pupils (150 males and 159 females) in grades 9–12. Participants completed standardized self-report tools to assess emotional intelligence, resilience, and perceived stress. To test for moderated mediation effects, data were analyzed using Hayes' PROCESS Macro Model 14.

The findings revealed a significant negative relationship between emotional intelligence and perceived stress, confirming the protective role of EI. Resilience was substantially connected with both EI and PS, although it did not mitigate the relationship. Gender disparities were found: the conditional indirect effect of EI on stress through resilience was significant for men but not for women. However, the index of moderated mediation was not statistically significant, implying that gender did not significantly moderate the indirect effect in general.

These findings emphasize the importance of emotional intelligence as a stress buffer, and they imply that resilience may function differently across genders in culturally particular circumstances. The study emphasizes the importance of gender-sensitive, school-based interventions for improving emotional competence and stress resistance among adolescents in Pakistan's rural and semi-urban settings.