A Study on Emotional Maturity and Self- Esteem among Adolescents

Abstract

Emotional maturity enables a person to create the life they desire. A life filled with happiness and fulfilment. An individual defines success in their terms, not society's, and strive to achieve it. Similarly, Self-esteem focuses on how we value ourselves; how we perceive our value to the world and how valuable we think we are to others. Self-esteem affects our trust in others, our relationships, our work – nearly every part of our lives. The research design used in the study is ex- post facto survey research and the sample size of the study consisted of 30 adolescents of age ranged from 15 - 18 years. The tools used in the present study are Self Esteem Scale (Dhar & Dhar, 2005) and Emotional Maturity scale (Singh & Bhargava, 1990). The results of the study conclude that there is no relationship between Self – Esteem and Emotional Maturity and gender was not found to be significant for any of the variables, Self – Esteem and Emotional Maturity.

Full text

INTRODUCTION
Emotions play an important role in the life of an individual and
require emotional maturity to lead an effective life, especially
the adolescents who are observed to be highly emotional in
their dealings need to be studied. Emotional maturity enables
a person to create the life they desire. A life lled with
happiness and fullment. An individual denes success in
their terms, not so cie ty' s, and st riv e to achieve it. An
emotionally stable child can make effective adjustments with
himself, members of his family, and his peers (Smitson, 1974).
Adolescents are the citizens of tomorrow so it is important to
study their emotional maturity. Self-esteem is the one key
ingredient that level of prociency in all elds of endeavour.
Self-esteem is how we value ourselves; it is how we perceive
our value to the world and how valuable we think we are to
ot h ers . S el f -es t eem a f fec t s our t r ust i n o th e rs, o u r
relationships, our work – nearly every part of our lives. Positive
self-esteem gives us the strength and exibility to take charge
of our lives and grow from our mistakes without the fear of
rejection. Self-esteem has been correlated to job success,
school achievement, and general happiness.
The re latio nships betw een self -este em and emot ional
maturity have received much attention. 'Both emotional
maturity and self-esteem are associated with life satisfaction'
(Behera and B. Rangaiah,2017). Gender is generally asserted
to impact upon the growth demonstration and manifestation
of self-esteem. Few kinds of research show a signicant
positive correlation between emotional maturity and self-
est eem; emoti onal matur ity a nd mental hea lth w hich
indicates that higher the self-esteem and better the mental
health and higher will be the emotional maturity (Singh and
Rashee, 2011). Therefore, the study intends to investigate the
self-esteem and emotional maturity of an adolescent.
METHOD OF INVESTIGATION
Aim: The present study aims to nd the relationship between
self – esteem and emotional maturity among adolescents and
also to nd gender difference based on the Independent and
Dependent variables.
Objectives:
ŸTo study the self-esteem of adolescents.
ŸTo study the emotional maturity of adolescents.
Ÿ To study the difference in gender on self-esteem and
emotional maturity of adolescents.
Hypotheses:
ŸSelf-esteem would be related Emotional maturity of
adolescents (Hypothesis 1)
ŸThere would be no gender difference between the self-
esteem of male and female adolescents (Hypothesis 2 )
ŸThere would be a gender di fference be tween t he
emotional maturity of male and female adolescents
(Hypothesis 3)
Variables Of The Present Study
The variables measured in the study are Self – esteem and
Emotional Maturity. Self – esteem is taken as independent
variables with Emotional Maturity as the dependent variable.
The demographic variable of gender was also considered in
the study.
Operational Denition
Ÿ Si ng h and B ha rgava ( 1990), Emotion al Maturity:
'Emotionally mature is not one who necessarily has
resolved all conditions that aroused anxiety and hostility
but it is continually involved in a struggle to gain healthy
integration of feeling, thinking and action'.
Ÿ'The total score obtained by the individual Self – Esteem:
on the various subscales such as Positivity, Openness,
Co m pet enc e , Hum i lit y, Se l f-w o r th an d L earn i ng
Orientation.' (Dhar & Dhar, 2005)
Research design: Ex post facto research design is used in the
study
Description Of The Sample
The sample consisted of 30 adolescents who were pursuing
th th
their 10 , 11 and 12th. The age group of the sample ranged
from 15 - 18 years of 13 females and 17 males. The mean age
was found to be 1 7 years. M ost of the samples w ere
undergoing the schooling.
Sampling Technique: Convenient sampling technique was
used in the study.
Tools Used
ŸSelf Esteem Scale (Dhar & Dhar, 2005)
ŸEmotional Maturity scale (Singh & Bhargava, 1990)
Statistical Analysis
Data analyses of all the variables were performed using the
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 20.0.
A STUDY ON EMOTIONAL MATURITY AND SELF – ESTEEM AMONG
ADOLESCENTS
Original Research Paper
Kinjari K*
Msc., Counseling Psychology, Chettinad Academy of Research and
Education, (Deemed to be University), Kelambakkam, Tamil Nadu, India
*Corresponding Author
X 1GJRA - GLOBAL JOURNAL FOR RESEARCH ANALYSIS
Psychology
Emotional maturity enables a person to create the life they desire. A life lled with happiness and
fullment. An individual denes success in their terms, not society's, and strive to achieve it. Similarly,
Self-esteem focuses on how we value ourselves; how we perceive our value to the world and how valuable we think we are to
others. Self-esteem affects our trust in others, our relationships, our work – nearly every part of our lives. The research design
used in the study is ex- post facto survey research and the sample size of the study consisted of 30 adolescents of age ranged
from 15 - 18 years. The tools used in the present study are Self Esteem Scale (Dhar & Dhar, 2005) and Emotional Maturity scale
(Singh & Bhargava, 1990). The results of the study conclude that there is no relationship between Self – Esteem and Emotional
Maturity and gender was not found to be signicant for any of the variables, Self – Esteem and Emotional Maturity.
ABSTRACT
KEYWORDS : Emotional Maturity, Self – esteem, Adolescents
VOLUME-9, ISSUE-5, MAY -2020 • PRINT ISSN No. 2277 - 8160 • DOI : 10.36106/gjra
C. N. Ram Gopal
Professor, Counseling Psychology, Chettinad Academy of Research and
Education, (Deemed to be University), Kelambakkam, Tamil Nadu, India

2 X GJRA - GLOBAL JOURNAL FOR RESEARCH ANALYSIS
Pearson's product-moment correlation was used to nd the
relationship between the independent variables and the
dependent variable. Independent sample t-test was used to
nd the difference in gender on the variables of Self – esteem
and Emotional Maturity.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Table 1. Relationship between Self - Esteem and Emotional
Maturity in Adolescents
Table 1 shows the relationship of Self - Esteem with Emotional
Maturity of adolescents. The 'r' value shows that Self – Esteem
is not related to Emotional Maturity. Therefore the hypothesis 1
(Self -e st ee m would b e r el at ed Emotio na l maturity of
adolescents) was not accepted.
Table 2. Gender difference in Self – Esteem and Emotional
Maturity
Table 2 shows the 't' value for the difference in gender for Self –
Esteem and Emotional Maturity of adolescents. The 't' value
indicates that there is no gender difference in Self – Esteem
and Emotional Maturity. Therefore the hypothesis 2 (There
would be no gender difference between the self-esteem of
male and female adolescents) was accepted and hypothesis 3
(There would be gender difference between the emotional
maturity of male and female adolescents) was not accepted.
The present study attempted to identify the relationship
be t ween S e lf – Est e e m and E m o tio n al Mat u rit y of
Adolescents. The results of Pearson's Correlation analysis
revealed that Self-esteem is not related to Emotional maturity
of adolescents. Adolescence is a period between childhood
and adulthood. It is certainly a period of change, and
adolescents do have various pressures on them. This is
par ti cularly true in e ar ly ad olescence when physic al
appearance tops the list of factors that determine global self-
esteem. During this period a person is confused about the
most appropriate role to play in life may lack a stable identity.
Du ri n g th e id ent ity-v ers us- ro le- con fu sio n per io d, an
adolescent feels pressure to identify what to do with his or her
life. Because these pressures come at a time of major physical
changes as well as important changes in what society expects
of them, adolescents can nd the period an especially difcult
one. In most families with adolescents, the amount of arguing
and bickering clearly rises. Most young teenagers, as part of
their search for identity, experience tension between their
attempts to become independent from their parents and their
actual dependence on them. Studies have found that one-
third to one-half of adolescents struggle with low self-esteem,
especially in early adolescence (Harter, 1990; Hirsch &
DuB ois, 1991) . T he results of low sel f-est eem c an be
temporary, but in serious cases can lead to various problems
including depression, anorexia nervosa, delinquency, self-
inicted injuries and even suicide. While adolescents' self-
esteem can uctuate, from approximately eighth grade on,
studies have found that self-esteem appears relatively stable.
Individuals with high self-esteem in childhood are likely to be
adol escents with high self-este em. Man y studies have
demonstrated that during middle and late adolescence, and
into early adulthood, self-esteem stabilizes or even increases
(Savin-Williams & Demo, 1983; Harter, 1990) Similarly,
Subbarayan and Visvanathan (2011) in their study on
emotio nal maturit y a mong stu dents revea led that the
emotional maturity is extremely unstable.
Similarl y, the present stu dy identie d that there is no
signicant difference between the self-esteem of male and
female adolescents. Kaur (2001) revealed an insignicant
difference in emotional maturity between boys and girls. It
was also found that is no signicant difference between the
emotional maturity of male and female adolescents. The
results helped us overcome the stereotype that women are
emo tiona lly m ature co m p aring to m e n . S i m i l arly,
Subbarayan and Visvanathan (2011) in their study on
emotional maturity among college students revealed that the
emotional maturity of college students is extremely unstable
but is not dependent on gender.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
From the present study, it can be concluded that there is no
relationship between Self – Esteem and Emotional Maturity. It
can also be concluded that when accounted for differences in
gender, gender was not found to be signicant for any of the
variables, Self – Esteem and Emotional Maturity.
Limitations Of The Study
1. More data could have been collected from adolescents.
2. All d at a were co ll ec te d from se lf -r ep or ts . Furt he r
researches should be undertaken by employing some
oth er metho d of dat a c ollec tion e.g., ob servati on,
interview etc.
Implications
ŸThe results of the study help us overcome the stereotype
that women are emotionally mature comparing to men. As
the results of the study indicate that there is no gender
difference in emotional maturity.
ŸThe results can be used by parents and teachers to
understand that training must be given to students to work
to the best of their ability, teachers can enhance the self-
esteem of all students, regardless of their talent. Parents
can do the same and by encouraging their children to
participate in extracurricular activities that match their
talents, which further promotes self-esteem.
ŸFrom the study, we can understand the emotional maturity
in adolescence. The study can help parents and teachers
to develop student's emotional maturity, understand the
kind of changes an adolescent is going through and the
kind of pressures they face. So that everyone can help the
child grow into an adult so perfectly who turns out to be a
responsible and mature individual who can handle
situations with calm and maturity.
ŸIntegrating emotio nal in tel lig ence i nto ed ucational
programs for adolescents in schools.
REFERENCES
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self-esteem and life-satisfaction: A study on traditional dancers of Odisha
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[2] Dhar, S and Dh ar, U. 2005. Manual for Self Est eem Scal e; Natio nal
Psychological Corporation. Kacheri Ghat, Agra.
[3] Harter, S. (1990). Identity and self development. In S. Feldman and G. Elliott
(Eds.), At the threshold: The developing adolescent (pp. 352-387). Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University Press.
[4] Hirsch, B., & DuBois, D. (1991). Self-esteem in early adolescence: The
identication and prediction of contrasting longitudinal trajectories. Journal
of Youth and Adolescence, 20, 53-72.
[5] Kaur, M. (2001). A Study of Emotional Maturity of Adolescents in Relation to
Intelligence, Academic Achievement and Environmental Catalysts. Ph.D.
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[6] Savin-Williams, R. & Demo, D . (1983). Situational and transitu ational
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[7] Singh Y. and Bhargave, M. (1990). Manual for Emotional Maturity Scale (EMS):
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[8] Singh, & Rashee. (2011). Shodhganga@INFLIBNET: Emotional maturity
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VOLUME-9, ISSUE-5, MAY -2020 • PRINT ISSN No. 2277 - 8160 • DOI : 10.36106/gjra
Variables
N
r
Sig
Self – Esteem
Emotional Maturity
30
0.096
0.615
Variables
Group
N
Mean
SD
t
Sig
Self –
Esteem
Males
Females
17
13
78.35
80.92
17.93
14.72
1.172
0.251
Emotional
Maturity
Males
Females
17
13
131.82
131.85
26.74
37.12
1.121
0.272