Emotional intelligence (EI) and mindfulness are two constructs that have been separately
studied, and the relation between them still remains unclear. Research in this area
has not attempted to go further into how enhancing EI and mindfulness together
can achieve better improvements in this ability to attend mindfully. To bridge this
knowledge gap, our research goal was to study the relationship between EI and the
mindfulness competence in our study sample and to assess the impact of implementing
EI and a mindfulness competence developmental program (SEA) about participants’
mindfulness competence. The sample consisted of 156 students aged 11–14 years old
from a Spanish public high school. One hundred and eight participants were randomly
assigned to the experimental condition, and the remaining 48 were to the control
condition. The instruments used to evaluate EI were the CDE-SEC, EQi-Youth Version
and the General Empathy Scale. Mindfulness on the School Scope Scale was used
to assess mindfulness competences. Social adaptation was evaluated by using the
social abilities and adjustment questionnaire BAS3. All the instruments where answered
by the participants and have been adapted to a sample of youths with such age
specifications. The results showed that EI and mindfulness were related to many of
the variables measured by the instruments. Showing a good mindfulness competence
was particularly related to having a good general level of the EI trait, and to many of
the assessed social and emotional variables. The data indicated a significant relation
between the mindfulness competence and having better general empathy skills or being
better socially adjusted to the school context. The data also indicated a significant effect
on participants’ interior and kinesthetic mindfulness competence after implementing the
SEA Program. These findings corroborate the relationship between EI and mindfulness,
and the possibility of enhancing mindfulness by applying a direct intervention program
in the classroom