GENDER BASED DIFFERENCES IN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND PERSONALITY TRAITS: EVIDENCE FROM VISUALLY IMPAIRED ELITE CRICKETERS AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED NON-CRICKETERS

Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) and the Big Five Personality Traits (BFPTs) play crucial roles in shaping social, emotional, and behavioral adaptability. However, gender-based differences in these psychological factors remain underexplored among visually impaired individuals, particularly those engaged in sports. Understanding these variations can help identify how sports participation contributes to emotional and personality development in this unique population. Objective: The study aimed to investigate gender-related variations in emotional intelligence and personality traits among visually impaired elite cricketers and non-cricketers in Pakistan. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional study design was employed, including 90 visually impaired participants aged 18–35 years, divided equally into 45 elite cricketers and 45 non-cricketers. The sample comprised both males (n=60; 66.7%) and females (n=30; 33.3%). Data were collected using a structured socio-demographic questionnaire, the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10) to assess personality traits, and the short form of the Emotional Intelligence Scale. The data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test through IBM SPSS version 23, with a significance level set at p<0.05. Results: Female visually impaired cricketers demonstrated significantly higher emotional intelligence (Mean Rank=30.80) than male cricketers (Mean Rank=19.10, p=0.005), indicating stronger empathy and emotional regulation. No significant gender differences were observed in personality traits, including extraversion (p=0.131), agreeableness (p=0.283), conscientiousness (p=0.600), neuroticism (p=0.305), or openness (p=0.271) among cricketers. Among non-cricketers, only openness showed a significant gender difference (p=0.020), with females scoring higher (Mean Rank=29.03) than males (Mean Rank=19.98), while other traits and EI showed no significant variation. Conclusion: The findings highlighted that female visually impaired cricketers possess superior emotional intelligence, while female non-cricketers exhibit greater openness to experience. These results emphasize that gender influences emotional and personality dimensions, and sports participation may enhance psychological growth, social adaptability, and emotional well-being among individuals with visual impairments.