Assessment of socio psychological constructs in post flood situation: The case of Kuttanad rice farmers

Introduction

Kuttanad, spanning the Kottayam and Alappuzha districts, represents the lowest altitude region in India, lying several metres below sea level-a rare geographical phenomenon recognized by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. While the region is renowned for its expansive paddy fields, it simultaneously ranks among Kerala's most flood-prone areas. Historically, Kuttanad experienced flooding predominantly during the southwest monsoon, with the northeast monsoon rarely triggering such events. Recurrence data indicates intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, and 50 years, with floods corresponding to 10-year cycles or more classified as severe, while those occurring at 5-year intervals or less are considered routine and less intense. However, recent years have witnessed a dramatic shift in this pattern-floods now strike annually, unleashing widespread devastation and instilling deep fear among residents. The 2018 floods inflicted extensive damage on the region. When the first flood struck in July 2018, its waters had not yet receded when a second flood hit in August, compounding the hardships faced by the populace. The situation was further exacerbated by the breach of outer bunds in several areas due to heavy rainfall. Hundreds of hectares of paddy fields were submerged, and thousands of residents were compelled to reside in relief camps for several months. Climate change operates as an intricate process wherein one change precipitates another, rendering outcomes increasingly unpredictable. It is a stark reality that Kuttanad will never be the same again, and its inhabitants must adapt to the enduring impacts of climate change. The lessons derived from these adversities are crucial for developing more responsive strategies and fostering a resilient society. Consequently, socio-psychological studies related to flood management are essential for devising appropriate preparedness and mitigation strategies.

Materials and Methods

The study was conducted in the Kuttanad region of Alappuzha district, with Chambakulam and Veliyanad blocks purposively selected as they were the most severely floodaffected blocks in terms of rice cultivation. The respondent groups comprised 60 farmers from each block. From each block, the two most severely affected grama panchayats were chosen as study areas: Chambakulam, Nedumudi, Pulikunnu, and Ramankary. From each panchayat, 30 farmers were selected, yielding a total sample size of 120 farmers. Emotional feeling, measured through Emotional Quotient (EQ)-also referred to as Emotional Intelligence (EI)constituted the primary dependent variable. EQ was operationalized as the capacity to recognize one's own emotions and those of others, manage emotions, and motivate oneself. The measurement was based on Goleman's (1995) [1] five-element framework, encompassing self-awareness, selfregulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Selfawareness involves knowing one's feelings at any given moment and using those priorities to guide decision-making, coupled with a realistic assessment of one's abilities and a www.extensionjournal.com grounded sense of self-confidence. Self-regulation refers to the ability to respond to ongoing experiential demands with a range of emotions in a socially acceptable manner, allowing for the postponement of impulsive reactions when necessary. Motivation entails using one's innermost priorities to pursue objectives, seize opportunities, strive for advancement, and maintain perseverance in the face of setbacks and disappointments. Empathy signifies the capacity to understand another person's experience from their frame of reference, positioning oneself in another's situation and cultivating rapport. Social skills involve communication wherein relationships and social rules are created, communicated, and modified through verbal and nonverbal means. The scale comprised 50 statements, from which 25 appropriate items were selected for the study. Responses were recorded on a five-point continuum-strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree, and strongly disagree-with scores of 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1, respectively. The distribution of farmers based on their emotional intelligence is presented in Table 1. The findings revealed that the majority of farmers (63 per cent) belonged to the medium category of emotional intelligence, followed by high (20 per cent) and low (17 per cent) categories. This distribution pattern may be attributed to the fact that a significant proportion of farmers fell into the medium to high age category and possessed medium to high farming experience, enabling them to motivate themselves and manage their emotions admirably. These results align with the findings of Victor (2018) [6] . To analyse the influence of sub-components on the total emotional intelligence score, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed. The analysis revealed that selfawareness, self-motivation, and empathy emerged as the principal components influencing emotional intelligence, as evidenced by their eigenvalues being either greater than or approaching one. Self-awareness, defined as the ability to manage one's inner world-thoughts and feelings-enables individuals to remain mindful and notice subtle but important life signals (Herwig et al., 2010) [2] , allowing them to address problems proactively rather than being overwhelmed by them. Flexibility and the capacity to manage change are critical for achieving success; motivated individuals focus on envisioned benefits and outputs, with barriers and insecurities failing to hold them back, as they anticipate occasional setbacks and recognize that worthwhile goals entail complications. Empathy facilitates effective emotion management and enables better interpersonal relations, contributing to heightened intuition and emotional intelligence. Correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between profile characteristics and emotional intelligence (Table 3). Self-confidence (self-worth) and problem-solving ability exhibited positive, significant relationships with emotional intelligence at the 1% level of significance, while optimism showed a positive, significant relationship at the 5% level. Conversely, variables such as age, education, gender, farming experience, annual income, area under cultivation, risk propensity, and innovation proneness were not significantly related to emotional intelligence. The correlation analysis revealed that farmers with high selfconfidence also exhibited high emotional intelligence. Selfconfidence reflects the emotional component of personality, representing a positive, balanced attitude toward the self. It is the most significant determinant of how individuals feel, think, and behave. A self-confident person does not depend on others for emotional sustenance and, despite adversities, can shape outcomes and produce desired results. This finding is logical, as self-confident individuals exercise greater control over their emotions, corroborating the results of Laborde et al. (2013) [3] . The analysis further demonstrated that farmers with high problem-solving ability possessed high emotional intelligence. Effective problem-solving involves addressing both personal and impersonal challenges. Individuals with low emotional intelligence tend to jump to solutions, avoid dealing with problems, ignore emotional information, and feel overwhelmed, whereas those with high emotional intelligence adopt a measured approach. Enhanced problemsolving ability enables farmers to perceive problems from different perspectives, utilize emotional cues and reactions, and employ appropriate coping strategies, thereby developing emotional intelligence and providing resources for problem-solving. These findings are consistent with the results of Rahim and Minors (2003) [5] . Despite adverse circumstances, optimism enables farmers to remain hopeful and cheerful, maintaining a positive attitude in all activities. A farmer's level of optimism serves as a predictor of health, happiness, wealth, and longevity. Optimistic farmers perform better professionally, maintain stronger relationships, and exhibit greater resilience. Optimism enhances emotional strength, forms part of the positive psychological domain, and contributes to overall emotional competence. These findings align with the study conducted by Lee (2016) [4] .

Conclusion

The study concludes that Emotional Intelligence serves as a vital psychological resource for rice farmers coping with the aftermath of floods. The positive correlations suggest that higher EI is intrinsically linked to the development of a resilient mindset, characterized by self-assurance, effective problem-solving, and a hopeful outlook for the future. These findings underscore the importance of integrating Emotional Intelligence development into disaster management and agricultural extension programs to enhance the psychological well-being and adaptive capacity of farming communities in climate-vulnerable regions like Kuttanad.

References

1. Goleman D. Emotional intelligence: why it can matter more than IQ for character, health and lifelong achievement. New York: Bantam Books; 1995. p. 50.
2. Herwig U, Kaffenberger T, Jäncke L, Brühl AB. Selfrelated awareness and emotion regulation. NeuroImage. 2010;50(2):734-741.
3. Laborde S, Lautenbach F, Allen MS, Herbert C, Achtzehn S. The role of trait emotional intelligence in emotion regulation and performance under pressure. Personality and Individual Differences. 2013;12(1):6670.
4. Lee HN. The influencing factors of optimism and emotional intelligence on depression among undergraduate students. Journal of Korea AcademiaIndustrial Cooperation Society. 2016;17(11):177-185.
5. Rahim MA, Minors P. Effects of emotional intelligence on concern for quality and problem solving. Managerial Auditing Journal. 2003;8(3):66-70.
6. Victor RA. Emotional intelligence and job stress of agricultural officers of Kerala State Department of Agriculture: a psycho-personal analysis. 2018.