Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the effect of emotional intelligence levels on decision-making among individuals interested in e-sports. The population consisted of individuals aged 18 and over who are interested in e-sports. METHOD: The research sample included 385 participants (178 women and 207 men; Age Average = 21.41 ± 3.24). The study utilized a 20-question information form, the Melbourne Decision Making Scale, and the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale to collect data. RESULTS: A statistically significant relationship was found between participants' emotional intelligence scores and their decision-making scores. Higher emotional intelligence scores were associated with increased self-esteem in decision-making and improvements in various decision-making sub-dimensions; however, a negative relationship was found with careful decision-making. High emotional intelligence positively influenced the ability to use and evaluate emotions and maintain emotional control, which in turn positively affected decision-making. CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that high emotional intelligence contributes positively to self-esteem and certain adaptive aspects of decision-making. However, a paradoxical pattern emerged: while emotional intelligence was positively related to maladaptive decision-making styles, it showed a negative association with careful and rational decision-making. These results suggest that emotional intelligence, although generally regarded as a protective factor, may also foster overconfidence or reliance on intuition in complex decision-making contexts. While some findings aligned with previous literature, the counterintuitive results highlight the need for further research to explore the mechanisms underlying these relationships in the specific context of e-sports.