A Model of Connections Between Positive Characteristics: Emotional Intelligence Links Mindfulness to Positive Characteristics with Emotion Elements

This research examined a model positing that mindfulness is a foundation for the development of emotional intelligence and other positive characteristics with emotional elements; these characteristics include self-compassion, gratitude, empathy, resilience, and forgiveness. The model further postulates that adaptive emotional processing, as operationalised by emotional intelligence, may connect mindfulness to positive characteristics with emotion elements. Participants completed trait-level measures of mindfulness, emotional intelligence, self-compassion, gratitude, empathy, resilience, and forgiveness. Greater trait mindfulness was significantly associated with higher levels of emotional intelligence as well as more compassion, gratitude, resilience, and forgiveness. Higher levels of emotional intelligence were significantly associated with more self-compassion, gratitude, empathy, resilience, and forgiveness. Emotional intelligence significantly mediated, or connected, the relationship of mindfulness with gratitude, empathy, resilience, and forgiveness. The results overall support a theoretical model that proposes that mindfulness and emotional intelligence may be foundational for the development of positive characteristics with emotion elements.