The master’s thesis addresses a broad spectrum of emotional competence and examines its relationship with satisfaction in romantic partnerships. Emotional competence encompasses the abilities to express, perceive, and regulate emotions, as well as empathy, all of which contribute to greater satisfaction in romantic relationships and everyday life.
The theoretical part of the thesis defines emotional competence and its dimensions—emotional expression, emotional perception, emotion regulation, and empathy—and describes their role and importance in building a stable and fulfilling romantic relationship. The empirical part presents a quantitative study conducted using the Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI) and the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire (ESCQ). The sample included women and men who were in a romantic relationship at the time of data collection. A total of 306e participants took part in the survey (45% men and 55% women).
The findings indicate a positive association between all dimensions of emotional competence (emotion perception, expression, and regulation) and satisfaction in romantic relationships. The results further show that men achieved higher levels of emotional competence across all three ESCQ dimensions (emotion perception, expression, and regulation). These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001), suggesting that emotional intelligence may differ between genders depending on the sample, cultural context, and measurement approach.
Emotional intelligence and its understanding contribute significantly to professional work with couples, as they enable deeper insight into the perception and regulation of emotions—both one’s own and those of one’s partner. Emotional competence and its development within romantic relationships foster mutual respect, enhance communication, and promote better understanding between partners, leading to higher-quality romantic relationships. These factors not only benefit the couple but also positively influence overall family dynamics, other family members, and the family as a whole. Therefore, emotional intelligence represents a key focus in psychotherapeutic practice, counseling, and educational programs aimed at developing interpersonal counseling skills.
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