The Structural Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Interpersonal Competence among Young Adults in the Digital Age

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the structural relationships among emotional intelligence, self- efficacy, psychological well-being, resilience, and interpersonal competence among young adults in the digital age. Specifically, it investigated not only the direct effect of emotional intelligence on interpersonal competence but also the mediating roles of self-efficacy, psychological well-being, and resilience in explaining how emotional intelligence contributes to interpersonal competence in contemporary digital environments.Methods: A survey was conducted with young adults living in the Seoul metropolitan area who were accustomed to digitally mediated communication and everyday online interaction. Of the 324 questionnaires collected, 312 valid responses were used for analysis. The data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0 and SmartPLS 4.0. Descriptive statistics, reliability and validity tests, and structural equation modeling were employed to evaluate both the measurement model and the structural relationships among the study variables.Results: Emotional intelligence had significant positive effects on self-efficacy, psychological well-being, resilience, and interpersonal competence. In addition, self-efficacy, psychological well-being, and resilience each exerted significant positive effects on interpersonal competence. The mediation analysis further revealed that all three psychological resources significantly mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and interpersonal competence.Conclusion: These findings suggest that emotional intelligence plays a pivotal role in enhancing interpersonal competence among young adults in the digital age, both directly and indirectly through key psychological resources. This study provides theoretical insight into the integrated mechanism through which emotional intelligence influences interpersonal competence and offers practical implications for educational, counseling, and developmental interventions aimed at strengthening interpersonal competence in digital environments.