Effect of Subjective Well-Being and Emotional Intelligence on Stress Amongst Millennials: Role of Personality as a Moderating Variable

Abstract

Stress is an inevitable part of our lives. This inevitably affects our well-being and an individual’s emotional intelligence. This study was aimed at investigating and understanding the effect of subjective well-being (SWB) and emotional intelligence (EI) on stress with personality as a moderating variable. The study specially focused on millennials in and around Pune. There were 100 respondents, 50 were males and 50 were females. These respondents were between the ages 25-35 years. Data was collected for SWB, EI, Stress and NEO-FFI. Pearson’s correlation and regression analysis were computed to test the hypotheses. Findings indicted a negative correlation between SWB and stress, and EI and stress. Using hierarchical regression analysis, it was found that neuroticism as a personality factor did moderate the relationship between subjective well-being and stress. Neuroticism also moderated the relationship between emotional intelligence and stress. The results indicated that though neuroticism moderated the relationship between SWB and stress and between EI and stress, other factors of NEO-FFI, namely extraversion, openness, agreeableness and contentiousness did not moderate these relationships between SWB, EI and stress. Results re discussed in the light of the unique situation of the coronavirus pandemic.