Factors influencing the development of emotional intelligence in university students

Abstract Emotional intelligence is an element that affects people’s daily lives, so it is necessary to know what factors influence the development of emotional intelligence. This systematic review both analyses the main characteristics of scientific articles on the factors that influence the emotional intelligence of university students and identifies the factors that influence the development of emotional intelligence at the university level, at an international level. This systematic review identified and compiled scientific articles published in English in the last 10 years that discussed the relationship between emotional intelligence and the academic performance of university students. The Web of Science and Scopus databases were consulted. The final sample consisted of 74 articles. The main characteristics of these 74 scientific articles were analysed. After this analysis, a progression in the frequency of publications on this topic was observed, increasing in the most recent years (2021 and 2022). Different factors that influence emotional intelligence were also identified, both academic and non-academic factors, with the following factors being the most frequently mentioned in the articles analysed: stress, motivation, social skills, and gender. With regard to added value, different factors were identified that are related to emotional intelligence, both academic and non-academic, as well as the different aspects that affect individuals and their environments. The practical implications of this study’s findings can be applied within the field of education, given that the factors related to emotional intelligence can be considered in order to favour the development of emotional intelligence in university students.