The indirect association of emotional intelligence with self-reported performance-related outcomes through psychological resilience in athletes
Abstract
The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between emotional intelligence and self-reported performance-related outcomes (psychological performance and subjective athletic performance satisfaction) in athletes, and to evaluate the indirect role of psychological resilience in these relationships. The research was conducted using a quantitative, cross-sectional design. A total of 403 national-team athletes aged between 18 and 38 years voluntarily participated. Data were collected through self-report measures of emotional intelligence, psychological resilience, psychological performance, and aggression, together with a visual analog scale assessing subjective athletic performance satisfaction. Direct and indirect associations were estimated using path analysis with observed composite scores. Statistical inference was based on 95% bias-corrected and accelerated (BCa) bootstrap confidence intervals obtained from 10,000 resamples, with aggression included as an auxiliary covariate. Emotional intelligence was positively associated with psychological resilience (β = 0.586, 95% BCa CI [0.495, 0.670]), and psychological resilience was positively associated with psychological performance (β = 0.469, 95% BCa CI [0.368, 0.559]) and subjective athletic performance satisfaction (β = 0.170, 95% BCa CI [0.054, 0.286]). The adjusted direct associations of emotional intelligence with psychological performance (β = 0.013, 95% BCa CI [-0.093, 0.121]) and subjective athletic performance satisfaction (β = 0.117, 95% BCa CI [-0.004, 0.231]) were not supported because their confidence intervals included zero. Significant indirect associations through psychological resilience were observed for psychological performance (β = 0.275, 95% BCa CI [0.205, 0.354]) and subjective athletic performance satisfaction (β = 0.100, 95% BCa CI [0.032, 0.176]). After accounting for aggression as an auxiliary covariate, the findings indicate that psychological resilience is an important statistical pathway linking emotional intelligence with self-reported performance-related outcomes. Because the study was cross-sectional, the results should be interpreted as directional associations rather than causal effects. Because all outcomes were self-reported with satisfaction assessed by a single item and the psychological performance measure showing mixed confirmatory factor analysis fit these associations should be interpreted with caution.
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BibTeX
@article{kan2026indirect,
title = {{The indirect association of emotional intelligence with self-reported performance-related outcomes through psychological resilience in athletes}},
author = {Emirhan Kan and Muhammet Talha Han and Yunus Emre Yarayan and Serdar Solmaz and Nouf H. Alkhamees and Sameer Badri Al-Mhanna and Marilyn Gilyana and Alexios Batrakoulis},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-78625-9},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-78625-9},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The indirect association of emotional intelligence with self-reported performance-related outcomes through psychological resilience in athletes
AU - Emirhan Kan
AU - Muhammet Talha Han
AU - Yunus Emre Yarayan
AU - Serdar Solmaz
AU - Nouf H. Alkhamees
AU - Sameer Badri Al-Mhanna
AU - Marilyn Gilyana
AU - Alexios Batrakoulis
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/02
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-78625-9
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-78625-9
AB - The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between emotional intelligence and self-reported performance-related outcomes (psychological performance and subjective athletic performance satisfaction) in athletes, and to evaluate the indirect role of psychological resilience in these relationships. The research was conducted using a quantitative, cross-sectional design. A total of 403 national-team athletes aged between 18 and 38 years voluntarily participated. Data were collected through self-report measures of emotional intelligence, psychological resilience, psychological performance, and aggression, together with a visual analog scale assessing subjective athletic performance satisfaction. Direct and indirect associations were estimated using path analysis with observed composite scores. Statistical inference was based on 95% bias-corrected and accelerated (BCa) bootstrap confidence intervals obtained from 10,000 resamples, with aggression included as an auxiliary covariate. Emotional intelligence was positively associated with psychological resilience (β = 0.586, 95% BCa CI [0.495, 0.670]), and psychological resilience was positively associated with psychological performance (β = 0.469, 95% BCa CI [0.368, 0.559]) and subjective athletic performance satisfaction (β = 0.170, 95% BCa CI [0.054, 0.286]). The adjusted direct associations of emotional intelligence with psychological performance (β = 0.013, 95% BCa CI [-0.093, 0.121]) and subjective athletic performance satisfaction (β = 0.117, 95% BCa CI [-0.004, 0.231]) were not supported because their confidence intervals included zero. Significant indirect associations through psychological resilience were observed for psychological performance (β = 0.275, 95% BCa CI [0.205, 0.354]) and subjective athletic performance satisfaction (β = 0.100, 95% BCa CI [0.032, 0.176]). After accounting for aggression as an auxiliary covariate, the findings indicate that psychological resilience is an important statistical pathway linking emotional intelligence with self-reported performance-related outcomes. Because the study was cross-sectional, the results should be interpreted as directional associations rather than causal effects. Because all outcomes were self-reported with satisfaction assessed by a single item and the psychological performance measure showing mixed confirmatory factor analysis fit these associations should be interpreted with caution.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -