The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Athletes Psychological Resilience: An Examination of Gender and Sport Type

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on psychological resilience (PR) and how this relationship varies in terms of gender and sport type. The research involved 354 student-athletes aged between 17 and 27, who are actively participating in sports clubs at various universities. Among the participants, 151 are female and 203 are male, with an average age of 21.31 years (SD = 2.71). Data were collected using the "Personal Information Form," the "Emotional Intelligence Scale," and the "Child and Youth Psychological Resilience Scale." Path analysis revealed that EI has a positive and significant effect on PR. Additionally, it was found that male athletes have higher levels of PR compared to female athletes, and team athletes exhibit higher PR than individual athletes. The interaction between gender and EI was also found to be significant, with this effect being more pronounced in female athletes. These findings suggest that EI is an important factor in enhancing athletes' PR, and that this effect may vary according to gender and sport type.