Literature Review: Gender, Parenting Style and Temperament influence the Development of Emotional Intelligence

The aim of this review paper is to show through review of literature that emotional intelligence development is influenced by one’s gender, temperament and the parenting styles of one’s parents. This review paper maintains that gender, temperament and parenting styles are linked in development of emotional intelligence and is explained from the context of multivel investment model. The multilevel investment model of emotional intelligence development (Zeidner, Roberts, and Matthew, 2009) relates temperament and parenting style as determinants of adolescent emotional intelligence. This paper discusses: the definition of emotional intelligence is first established using the Mayer and Salovey model of emotional intelligence (Mayer & Salovey, 1999); gender influences on the development of emotional intelligence are presented (Brody & Hall, 2008); and Third, The influence of temperament and parenting styles on the development with will then be discussed as factors in the development of emotional intelligence using the Multilevel Investment model of emotional intelligence (Zeidner, Roberts, & Matthews, 2009); In conclusion, this review of literature demonstrated (1) some degree of relationship between gender and emotional intelligence; (2) the reviewed literature suggest that temperament influences an individual’s emotional state as well as his or her strategies for emotional regulation; (3) the literature also showed that that parenting style significantly related to the development of emotional intelligence of their children and that that authoritative parenting facilitate the development of emotional competencies and social skills of children and promote positive life adjustment.