Staying True Under Pressure: A Case Study of Emotional Intelligence Development Among Foundation Students in Malaysia

Abstract

Emotional intelligence (EI) plays a critical role in helping young adults manage peer conformity pressures during the transition to higher education, yet most existing EI interventions are lengthy, resource-intensive programmes impractical for many educational settings. This case study examines a two-session, brief psychoeducational intervention designed to strengthen emotional awareness, emotional regulation, and value-driven decision-making among Malaysian foundation students navigating peer pressure. Using a single-case, mixed-methods design with pre- and post-intervention assessment, the study explores how a short-format intervention influences participants' ability to recognize their own emotional states, manage emotional responses under social pressure, and act in accordance with personal values rather than conforming automatically to peer expectations. Data were drawn from quantitative EI measures alongside qualitative reflections, allowing for a nuanced understanding of both measurable change and lived experience. Findings suggest that even an ultra-brief intervention can produce meaningful shifts in emotional self-awareness and resistance to conformity pressures, supporting emerging evidence that EI training need not require extended timeframes to be effective. This study contributes to the limited literature on feasible, scalable EI interventions in non-Western, Southeast Asian higher education contexts, offering practical implications for student support programming and directions for future research on brief EI interventions.