Published Paper Details:

The pursuit of happiness and psychological well-being has become a central theme in modern psychology, particularly within the framework of positive psychology. Constructs such as flow, emotional intelligence, and life satisfaction are increasingly recognized as vital determinants of subjective well-being. Flow, introduced by Csikszentmihalyi (1990), refers to a state of deep immersion in an activity, characterized by intrinsic motivation, concentration, and a loss of self-consciousness. Emotional intelligence, popularized by Goleman (1995), encompasses the ability to perceive, regulate, and utilize emotions effectively, thereby influencing interpersonal relationships, academic performance, and coping strategies. Life satisfaction, as defined by Diener et al. (1985), is a cognitive evaluation of one's overall quality of life and is influenced by both internal and external factors. Although these constructs have been studied extensively in Western contexts, their combined influence on young adults in collectivist societies such as India remains underexplored. This study investigates the relationships among flow, emotional intelligence, and life satisfaction in Indian college students. Results revealed significant positive correlations between flow and emotional intelligence, and between emotional intelligence and life satisfaction. Regression analysis confirmed that emotional intelligence and flow jointly predict life satisfaction, though flow alone did not significantly correlate with life satisfaction. These findings highlight the importance of emotional regulation and optimal experience in enhancing subjective well-being, while also emphasizing cultural nuances in collectivist societies. The study contributes to cross-cultural psychology by demonstrating that emotional intelligence is a stronger predictor of life satisfaction than flow alone, suggesting that interventions aimed at improving emotional intelligence may be particularly effective in Indian educational contexts.