Abstract

This study investigated the extent to which critical-thinking self-confidence and truth-seeking ability predict emotional intelligence among physics students. Adopting a correlational research design, the study involved 370 senior secondary school two (SSS2) physics students selected through a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected using validated questionnaires: Critical-thinking Self-confidence Questionnaire (CSQ), Physics Students’ Questionnaire on Truth-seeking (PSQT), and Emotional Intelligence Inventory (EII). Coefficient of determination (R²) and regression ANOVA were employed to analyze the data and test hypotheses at a 5% significance level. Results indicated that critical-thinking self-confidence accounted for 34.5% of the variation in students’ emotional intelligence, while truth-seeking accounted for 47.7%. Both predictors significantly influenced emotional intelligence (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that physics students who trust their reasoning abilities and actively seek truth are more likely to exhibit higher emotional intelligence, highlighting the importance of fostering these cognitive dispositions to support students’ emotional and academic development.

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