The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence of Mothers and Problem Behavior in Their Young Children: A Longitudinal Analysis

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence of Mothers and Problem Behavior in Their Young
: We studied the relationship between the emotional intelligence of mothers and
problem behavior in their young children. The study covered 65 mothers who answered questionnaires during
all of the studied phases, i.e., when the child was a fetus, and when it was 2, 3, 4, and 5 years old. The
emotional intelligence of the mothers was measured with Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i: Bar-On,
1997). The results showed a relationship between certain areas of emotional intelligence of the mothers and
problem behavior in their children. The mother’s emotional intelligence was related to the mother herself having
been a victim of violence. KEY WORDS: emotional intelligence, problem behavior, attachment