Emotional Intelligence May Be Good Predictor Of Success In Computing Studies

The research team, led by Pamplin College of Business facultymembers, measured how well students in computer science and informationsystems coped with stressful situations and their levels of emotionalintelligence, defined as "the ability to perceive, assess, andpositively influence personal and others' emotions." The researchersthen examined the effects of these intrapersonal factors on theirgrades. More than 600 undergraduates at more than 20 institutions inthe United States participated in the study, based on a series ofquestionnaires designed to measure coping strategies and emotionalintelligence.

"One of the study's premises was that meeting the challenges ofdemanding curricula often requires more than innate intelligence," saidFrance Belanger, an associate professor of accounting and informationsystems and a member of the research team. "To explore this assumption,we measured coping strategies and emotional intelligence -- twointrapersonal variables that are rarely studied in the computingfield."

The researchers found that although students' emotionalintelligence was not directly linked to academic success, students withhigher levels of emotional intelligence had more self-efficacy(self-confidence and knowledge that one can handle any problems orchallenges effectively) -- and that having more self-efficacy in turnenhanced their academic performance.

Belanger said further research is needed, but emotionalintelligence may be a good predictor of success or failure in computingstudies and careers. In recruiting computing students, she said,companies are increasingly emphasizing the need for "soft" skills, suchas effective interpersonal communication, in addition to technicalabilities.

"One of the implications of these findings is that computingcurricula might need to be redesigned to include emotional intelligencetraining, which is a learnable skill. For example, computing studentscould be trained on the development of important relationships withother students, which could help them function better in groups."

The preliminary results are part of a larger, longitudinalstudy on student recruitment and retention of minorities in informationtechnology being conducted by the researchers with funding from theNational Science Foundation. The project focuses on the impact ofrarely studied intrapersonal factors, including learning style,visual-spatial intelligence, and "resilient" personality, as well assuch interpersonal factors as mentoring and internships.

The data for this first part of the study included bothminorities and non-minorities, Belanger said. The researchers will bedoing further work to compare results for information technology andnon-information technology majors, as well as minority and non-minoritystudents.

"It's becoming more of a challenge to recruit students for andretain them in information technology studies, such as computer scienceand information systems," said Wanda Smith, associate professor ofmanagement, who is directing the three-year study. Not only haveenrollments declined substantially in the past four years, she said,but "evidence suggest that students are increasingly migrating out ofIT programs after enrolling."

The reasons may include unfounded perceptions of decreased jobopportunities, Belanger said, but "we need to learn more about thefactors driving recruitment and retention, especially forunderrepresented groups."

The research team's initial report, "Coping Strategies andEmotional Intelligence: New Perspectives on IT Students," won the BestPaper Award at a recent professional meeting, the America's Conferenceon Information Systems. Besides Belanger and Smith, the otherco-authors are Lemuria Carter, a Ph.D. student in accounting andinformation systems, Vernard K. Harrington, a Radford Universityprofessor, and George Kasper, a Virginia Commonwealth Universityprofessor.

Virginia Tech's nationally ranked Pamplin College of Business offersundergraduate and graduate programs in accounting and informationsystems, business information technology, economics, finance,hospitality and tourism management, management, and marketing. Thecollege emphasizes the development of ethical values and leadership,technology, and international business skills. A member of itsmarketing faculty directs the interdisciplinary Sloan Foundation ForestIndustries Center at Virginia Tech. The college's other centers focuson business leadership, electronic commerce, and organizationalperformance. The college is committed to serving business and societythrough the expertise of its faculty, alumni, and students. It is namedin honor of Robert B. Pamplin (BAD '33), the former CEO ofGeorgia-Pacific, and his son, businessman and philanthropist Robert B.Pamplin Jr. (BAD '64).