Association between emotional intelligence and prosocial tendencies in young adults: the mediating role of empathy

Abstract

Emotional intelligence and empathy have been consistently associated with prosocial behaviors in children and adolescents; however, empirical evidence in young adults remains limited, particularly on how these variables relate differently to types of prosocial motivation. Likewise, little is known about empathy’s mediating role in the relationship between emotional intelligence and prosociality. This study examined the direct and indirect pathways linking emotional intelligence to prosocial tendencies, with empathy as a mediator, in a sample of young adults. The study used a cross-sectional observational-analytical design and included 514 young people aged 18 to 35 (M = 21.13, SD = 3.71). The Trait Meta-Mood Scale, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and the Prosocial Tendencies Measure-Revised were used. Data were analyzed using path models. Emotional intelligence and empathy together explained 14% of the variance in prosocial tendencies (R² = .14). Emotional repair, empathic concern, and personal distress showed different associations across prosociality dimensions. Mediation analyses indicated that empathy, particularly empathic concern and perspective taking, statistically mediated the association between emotional intelligence and prosocial tendencies. The findings expand the empirical evidence on prosociality in young adulthood and highlight empathy as a socioemotional correlate within the association between emotional self-awareness and prosocial helping.