Assessing Emotional Intelligence of University Students: A Comparison between China and Bahrain

Emotional intelligence (EI) is being recognised to be a vital element in many educational institutions today. Tuning into one's feelings and understanding others help to build and strengthen relationships in classrooms. There are some Emotional Intelligence skills most often related to academic success such as assertion, drive, strength, commitment ethic, time management, and stress management. This paper looks at emotional intelligence of students in one of Bahrain’s reputable national university. A comparison is made between students in Barhain and participants in China to look at cultural differences and the role of national culture in the levels of emotional intelligence among individuals. The results revealed no direct relationship between scores, grade point average, age and emotional intelligence competencies. Overall the scores were in moderation, reflecting moderate levels of emotional intelligence. However, there some subtle culture issues and variations between the culture in China and Bahrain, where some of the items in the EI instruments were found to be culture bound.