| The purpose of the study was to determine what relationship exits between lifelong learning, emotional intelligence and life satisfaction for older adult learners 55 years of age and older. The hypothesis is that life satisfaction increases with higher levels of emotional intelligence and more involvement in lifelong learning. The study was conducted primarily in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Two hundred and three adults 55 years of age or older participated. The convenience sample was voluntary and gathered from agencies and organization known to this researcher.; The study included three inventories: The Lifelong Learner Perspectives Inventory, the Emotional Skills Assessment Process Inventory and the Life Satisfaction Inventory. Collectively, these self-report inventories contained 98 statements on interpersonal communication, decision making, leadership, drive strength and self-esteem. They also include statements on trust is it relates to a person's perception of self as a learner, attitudes and beliefs related to involvement in educational activities, and life satisfaction.; Regression analysis was used to determine the relationships of lifelong learning perspective and emotional intelligence to life satisfaction. The control variables of age and living arrangement explained only 3 percent of the variance in life satisfaction (not statistically significant). In contrast, emotional intelligence and lifelong learning perspective accounted for a significant amount of the variance in life satisfaction (R2 change = .26, p<.000), after controlling for age and living arrangement. Upon inspection of the regression coefficients for these variables, emotional intelligence was found to be the most significantly associated with life satisfaction (B = .516, p<.001). Lifelong learning perspective had a significant bivariate relationship with life satisfaction, and was also significantly related to life satisfaction, but not as significantly as emotional intelligence. |
