INFLUENCE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION COUNSELLING STRATEGIES AMONG COUNSELLORS IN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the influence of emotional intelligence on conflict resolution counselling strategies among counsellors in higher institutions in South East Nigeria. Three research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The sample consisted of 420 counsellors drawn from a population of 650 using stratified random sampling across five higher institutions.Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Resolution Strategies Questionnaire (EICRSQ). The instrument was validated by three experts in educational psychology and measurement and evaluation, ensuring content and face validity. Reliability was established using Cronbach’s Alpha, yielding a coef icient of 0.83, indicating high internal consistency. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance.Findings revealed that counsellors possessed a high level of emotional intelligence (3.14). The results also showed that counsellors predominantly adopted integrative and collaborative conflict resolution strategies (2.94), while avoidance and dominating strategies were less preferred. Emotional intelligence was found to strongly influence the choice of conflict resolution strategies (3.18). Hypothesis testing showed a significant positive relationship between emotional intelligence and integrative strategies (r = 0.642, p < 0.05), and a significant negative relationship with dominating strategies (r = -0.376, p < 0.05).The study concluded that emotional intelligence significantly enhances ef ective conflict resolution counselling and recommended its integration into counsellor training programs.