Date of Award

6-2020

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School of Social Work

First Reader/Committee Chair

Smith, Laurie

Abstract

The current study utilized a quantitative design to investigate the extent to which MSW students’ general internship satisfaction (GIS) is related to their perceptions of supervision quality (SQ), and their emotional intelligence (EI). Participants were 53 individuals recruited from students enrolled in a Master of Social Work (MSW) program at an ethnically diverse Southern California university. Participants were required to be participating in their first or second year of field placement. An online survey solicited demographic information and participant responses to measurement scales for the three variables under investigation. Variable data were recorded on a 1-to-7 Likert scale, with comparatively high mean values observed for each: SQ (M = 5.76, SD = .83); EI (M = 5.64, SD = ..55); and GIS (M = 5.92, SD = 1.00). Results supported a predicted positive association between SQ perceptions and GIS. Nonsignificant findings were observed for the positive SQ-EI association that was predicted, and for the predicted positive EI-GIS association. Results also did not support the prediction of an EI-mediated relationship between SQ and GIS. Study limitations are discussed, and suggestions for future research include that EI be investigated as a moderating variable. Because EI’s theoretical framework supports Social Work practice and core tasks, it is recommended that emotional competence development activities occur during internship supervision.

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Social Work Commons

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