INFLUENCE OF SEXUAL PREFERENCE AND PERSONAL FUNCTIONING ON EMOTIONAL ADJUSTMENT AMONG UNDERGRADUATES

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ABSTRACT

This study examined the influence of sexual preference and personal functioning on emotional adjustment among undergraduates. In determining the influence of sexual preference and personal functioning on emotional adjustment among undergraduates, three scales were used. They include; Masculinity Femininity Scale (MFS) developed by Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen & Kaemmer (1989), Emotional Adjustment Scale developed by Butcher et al., (I989) and Personal Functioning Scale (PFS) developed by Koha, Brien-Wood, Pickering & Decicco, (2003) were the instruments used for data collection.  Two hundred and seventy-three (273) University of Uyo undergraduates consisting of 156 males and 117 females were selected using purposive sampling technique to participate in the study. The participant’s age ranged from 18 to 35 years with a mean age of 26.50 years. The study utilized a cross-sectional design and a 2-way analysis of variance was used for data analysis.  Results revealed that personal functioning had a significant influence on emotional adjustment among undergraduates [F (1,272) = 4.039; P.>.05]. Results also revealed that sexual preference had an influence on emotional adjustment among undergraduates. [F (1,272) = 83.85; P<. 05]. Results further revealed that personal functioning and sexual preference did not jointly exert significant influence on emotional adjustment among undergraduates [F (1,272) = .53; P>.05]. Implication, recommendations and suggestions for further studies were made in line with the findings.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

 Adjustment is a never ending process. Every living being of the world struggles to adjust in the surrounding atmosphere for survival. Human beings are not apart from this continuous process. In the course of different stages of human development adolescence period is one of the most problematic period regarding social, emotional, sexual and academic adjustment. During this period adolescent enter puberty and develop individual identity. They start to recognize their share of role in the society and find themselves in a constant contrast of dream and reality, thought and action, prediction and practicality, conjecture and experience, expectation and commitment. But suddenly, when the adolescents discover themselves surrounded by heaps of problems, these problems make them maladjusted in their social set up. Adjustment is related with the mental set up of the children, how they think, behave and react to their surrounding environment. Society consists of several multidimensional complexities, and as a social being every individual must perform some activities which will help them to cope with the social and cultural adjustment.

Adjustment, in psychology, refers to the behavioral process by which humans and other animals maintain equilibrium among their various needs or between their needs and the obstacles of their environments. Human beings are able to adjust to the physical, social and psychological demands that arise from having inter dependability with other individual Shaffer (1961). Adjustment, as a process describes and explains the ways and means of an individual’s adaptation to his self and his environment without reference to the quality of such adjustment or its outcome in terms of success or failure. It is an organizational behavior in life situations at home, at school, at work in growing up and in ageing. It helps one to keep out basic impulses at tolerable levels, to believe in one’s own abilities and to achieve desired goals. Thus, adjustment helps for self-initiated growth and development along intellectual, emotional, social, physical, and vocational dimensions. Adjustment refers to the psychological process through which people manage or cope with the demands and challenges of everyday life. It connotes conformity, it deals with the way an individual adapts to his environment and demand of life Ogoemeka (2012).  This includes how he relates to other (interpersonal) and how he deals with his responsibilities and inner feelings. Psychologically, adjustment helps the organism to cope with the demands and pressures of the outside world as well as the needs, desires and conflicts experiences from within Dickens (2006).