Abstract
Students' life satisfaction is an essential reflection of their well-being, particularly during challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic, a global catastrophe, has had an immeasurably negative impact on individuals' daily lives. It has also provided an opportunity to investigate the factors contributing to students' life satisfaction during such difficult times. Considering the unique characteristics of these university students, the current study examines the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) on students' life satisfaction, as well as the direct and sequential mediating effects of interpersonal competence and anxiety on this relationship. A total of 297 university students in Shanghai, China, participated in the study. All participants were recruited online during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. Four well-established questionnaires were utilized to assess students' trait emotional intelligence, interpersonal competence, anxiety, and life satisfaction. The findings indicate that interpersonal competence significantly mediates the relationship between EI and life satisfaction. Although anxiety does not significantly mediate this relationship, it plays a notable role in the sequential mediating effect involving interpersonal competence and anxiety. The study reveals that nurturing students' EI can significantly enhance their interpersonal competence, which can reduce anxiety and ultimately increase their self-reported life satisfaction.