Emotional intelligence, and psychological capital among adults with intellectual disabilities without a specific etiology compared to normal development adults in the Arab sector (Hebrew)

Emotional intelligence and psychological capital constitute central components of emotional and social adaptation, particularly among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Arab sector. Emotional intelligence refers to the capacity to identify, understand, regulate, and express emotions, both one’s own and those of others. It is conceptualized through three principal models: the ability model, which emphasizes emotion processing as a cognitive skill; the trait model, which views emotional intelligence as an aspect of personality; and the mixed model, which integrates cognitive, emotional, and social components. Psychological capital encompasses four major dimensions, hope, optimism, resilience, and self efficacy, and reflects the individual’s tendency to perceive themselves as capable of coping with challenges while maintaining a sense of control, confidence, and a positive future orientation. Emotional intelligence and psychological capital operate concurrently and reinforce one another, since emotional regulation and perceived competence jointly form a foundation for internal resilience and adaptive functioning. Despite this, research on these associations among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and especially within the Arab cultural context characterized by collectivism, familial cohesion, and respect for authority, remains extremely limited.

The overarching aim of the study was to examine differences and associations between emotional intelligence and psychological capital among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities compared with typically developing individuals in the Arab sector.

The operational objectives and hypotheses were as follows:
A. To examine group differences in emotional intelligence. Hypothesis: the typically developing group would display higher levels, since higher cognitive intelligence contributes to emotional understanding, regulation, and the effective incorporation of emotional information in decision making.

B. To examine group differences in psychological capital. Hypothesis: no significant differences would emerge, since psychological capital is associated primarily with emotional motivation, belief, and hope, which do not depend directly on cognitive functioning but are influenced by environmental and cultural factors.

C. To examine associations between emotional intelligence and psychological capital. Hypothesis: a significant positive association would be found, because both constructs rely on self-regulation, perceived control, and adaptation to complex situations.
D. To examine the contribution of background variables (sector and gender) to predicting emotional intelligence and psychological capital. Hypothesis: background variables as well as psychological capital would partially predict emotional intelligence, since cognitive and cultural factors influence the understanding and expression of emotions, and gender may sometimes exert an indirect influence on emotional expression and perceived competence.

Participants included sixty Arabic speaking adults aged sixteen to twenty-one, comprising thirty individuals with mild to moderate intellectual and developmental disabilities and thirty typically developing individuals, with equal gender distribution.

Research instruments consisted of a battery that included a demographic questionnaire and five standardized assessments of emotional intelligence and psychological capital.

Results and interpretation indicated significant differences in emotional intelligence, primarily within the mixed model and to a lesser extent within the trait model, while the ability model did not show significant group differences. In the mixed model, the typically developing group demonstrated an advantage in both the overall score and in stress management, which suggests that the model’s integration of cognitive, emotional, and social components is more sensitive to functional differences associated with cognitive limitations. In contrast, the absence of significance in the ability model may stem from its focus on intellectual aspects of emotional processing, such as understanding, expressing, and regulating emotions, which require complex cognitive mechanisms. These differences may diminish once general intelligence is statistically controlled using the Raven test. In the mixed model, which also incorporates personality traits, adaptability, and mood states, differences emerge more clearly, since this model reflects the capacity to manage emotions and navigate complex social environments. Typically developing adults tend to exhibit stronger emotional resilience and higher social competence in these domains. In the trait model, significant differences were found in both the overall score and specifically in the social ability dimension. This finding indicates that personality related and socio emotional tendencies are more established among typically developing individuals, whereas among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities these tendencies may be less consolidated or less flexible. The overall pattern therefore indicates that models assessing emotional intelligence through a broad and integrative lens, such as the mixed and trait models, are more sensitive to group differences than models focusing on narrower cognitive skills, such as the ability model.

The findings further reveal a significant positive association between emotional intelligence and psychological capital. Higher levels of emotional intelligence were linked with higher levels of psychological capital, including hope, optimism, and self-efficacy. This association was especially prominent in the ability and mixed models. These results indicate that the capacity to identify, understand, and regulate emotions, combined with emotional flexibility, stress management, and social skills, forms a meaningful psychological basis for the development of internal resources such as resilience, personal efficacy, and a positive future outlook. A possible interpretation is that individuals with higher emotional intelligence tend to interpret challenging situations more evenly, maintain intrinsic motivation, and rely on effective regulatory strategies that enhance their sense of control and self-confidence. These elements are central to psychological capital. The ability to understand oneself and others emotionally functions as a protective and supportive mechanism that promotes positive coping and strengthens the psychological resources required for maintaining well-being.

In addition, the hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that background variables, specifically sector and gender, together with psychological capital, partially predict emotional intelligence. Cognitive ability, as measured by the Raven test, made a significant contribution to all indices, while gender did not show a significant predictive effect.

Theoretical implications suggest that the study expands current understanding of the relationship between cognition, emotion, and psychological resilience among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities within an Arab cultural context. The findings support the relevance of the mixed model of emotional intelligence, which conceptualizes the individual as a multidimensional entity in which cognitive abilities, such as problem solving and analytical thinking, are intertwined with socio emotional traits, such as empathy, assertiveness, and adaptability, contributing jointly to overall emotional functioning. This integrative perspective helps explain how emotional intelligence can be present and develop even among individuals with cognitive limitations, and how it may be strengthened through training and learning.

Significance for the Arab sector lies in the study’s contribution to an underexplored field within the Arab population in Israel, integrating cultural and social perspectives on emotional and cognitive processes. Arab society, characterized by strong familial and communal structures, may foster high psychological capital even among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, while at the same time maintaining certain emotional norms that limit overt emotional expression. The study highlights the need for culturally adapted educational and psychological intervention programs that can enhance the emotional and psychological competencies of adults with intellectual disabilities.