Research Proposal

Relationship between college adjustment ,Emotional maturity and interpersonal

problems among undergraduates

Submitted to:
Dr. Sumaya Batool

Submitted by:

Aiman Asad and

Kalsoom

BS 5th 2 year

Department of Psychology
 Application form for ADCP Synopsis Approval

University of Sargodha
Department (Faculty) Psychology
Scholar’s Name Aiman Asad
Scholar name Kalsoom
Program BS
Scholar’s ID PSYC63F23R025
Supervisor’s Name Dr. Sumaya Batool
Title of the Research Relationship between
college adjustment
emotional maturity and
Interpersonal problem
Report Period December 2023-jan 2024
Introduction

The purposed study is to investigate the relationship between

college adjustment,emotional maturity and interpersonal problems
among under graduates .It would explore college adjustment process
College adjustment is an important factor that influences
academic success. First year undergraduates must deal with a
transition period from high school to college during which time they
encounter many challenges which can result in high dropout rates
and low academic outcomes .This transition period requires
adaptability . A systematic review was conducted to gain an
overview of college adjustment and its influence.
College adjustment refers to the process of adapting the academic
social and emotional demands of college life. Its involves navigating
new environment, managing increased independence, forming
relationship and handling academic challenges. This period of
transition can impact students differently, and successful adjustment
often requires time and support
second is emotional maturity refers to the ability to understand,
manage and express once emotions effectively. It involves self -
awareness, empathy and the capacity to navigates relationship and
challenges with composure and resilience
 Interpersonal problems are difficulties or conflicts that arise in
interactions between individuals. These issues may involves
communication breakdowns, misunderstandings or conflicts in
relationships, both personal and professional. Developing effective
interpersonal skills can help address and navigates such problems.
systematic review was conducted to gain an overview of college
adjustment and its influence. Using of five online platforms, namely
EBSCOhost, PsycNet, Science Direct, Scopus and Taylor &Francis
Online,18 articles were obtained. As a result, college adjustment can
be characterized by indicators such as academic achievement, stress,
anxiety, depression and well-being. The Attachment Theory and
Self-determination Theory were applied in more than one study.
Individual and environment characteristics can influence college
adjustment, both positively as well as negatively.

The global phenomenon shows that difficulties experienced during

college can result in failure to complete one’s education. In general,
worldwide dropout rates are high in the first year. In Australia, 22%
or 1 in 5 university students in Queensland did not reapply the
following year (Morton et al., 2013). In 2010, The American College
Testing Service stated that 50% of students did not successfully
complete their college education (Stoklosa, 2015). In the
Netherlands, 33% of first-year undergraduates did not continue into
their second year (van Rooij et al., 2017). In South Africa, the
dropout rate for first-year undergraduates averaged 50% (Daniels et
al., 2018). Whereas in Spain, more than 50% of university students
failed to finish their education and most (26%) left during their first
year (Fernández et al., 2017; Rodrıguez et al., 2017). Indonesia has
shown the same phenomenon. The statistical data in 2020 indicated a
high dropout rate among university students, reaching 7% of
8.483.217 students enrolled in 2020 (Ministry of Education and
Culture, 2020).

College adjustment comes from adjustment theory in general.

Lazarus (1999) stated that adjustment is a response from individuals
in handling the demands and pressures in their lives. Eshun (2006)
explained that adjustment is a response of individuals in dealing with
pressures and demands as a result of environmental changes.
According to Weiten (2015), self-adjustment is a psychological
process of managing or handling the demands and challenges of
daily life. The psychological process is to establish a harmonious
relationship within one’s environment, this is due to the changes and
new demands in collegiate life. College adjustment is an adaptation
process that needs to be done by students in dealing with the
transition to collegiate life (Baker & Siryk, 1984). College
adjustment is a psychosocial process that involves certain types and
level of demand and requires various responses to manage these
demands (Baker & Siryk, 1984). College adjustment is a complex
and multifaceted construction, meaning that individuals who are
successful in college adjustment are not only measured from one
aspect such as academic adjustment, but also include social,
personal, and emotional adjustment as well as adjustment to the
institution itself. The researchers selected the college adjustment
theory developed by Baker and Siryk (1984) because the college
adjustment theory is multifaceted, covers various aspects of
adjustment more comprehensively, and produces an index not only
for overall adjustment, but also for various aspects or dimensions
specifically, namely academic adjustment, social adjustment,
personal-emotional adjustment, and institutional attachment.

The first aspect, academic adjustment, refers to the ability to meet

the various academic demands, which is a characteristic of higher
education, as well as achieving a satisfactory level of academic
achievement. This dimension measures students’ attitudes toward
academic targets and tasks, the efforts associated with academic
activities, to satisfaction with their results. According to Baker and
Siryk (1984), there are four aspects of academic adjustment, namely,
learning motivation and having clear academic goals, engaging in
academic tasks, exerting efforts to meet academic demands, and
feeling satisfied with the academic environment. Previous literature
has consistently presented the important role of academic adjustment
in predicting achievement and persistence (Bailey & Phillips, 2015).
Given the importance of academic adjustment as a correlated factor
with first-year success, some experts believe that this aspect is
considered a key indicator of the overall adjustment process. The
second aspect, social adjustment, refers to the ability to adapt to the
social and interpersonal demands of campus life. This dimension
provides an overview of how students participate in social activities,
establish interpersonal relationships, and explain the acceptance
process related to their social environment. First-year undergraduates
encounter interpersonal challenges such as the need to build
relationships with the people within their environment (Mudhovozi,
2012), such as actively participating in campus activities, being able
to build relationships with new people, mingling with those from
different backgrounds, developing relationships with lecturers, and
sharing college problems with friends. The third aspect, personal-
emotional adjustment, refers to the ability to adapt to emotional and
physical obstacles experienced by new students. The personal-
emotional adjustment reflects the degree to which students
experience stress, anxiety, and/or physical reactions s (such as
insomnia) to the demands of collegiate life (Credé & Niehorster,
2011). The fourth aspect, institutional attachment, refers to the extent
to which students are committed to the goals of educational
institutions, establish an emotional attachment to the campus
community, and the quality of relationships with educational
institutions (Credé & Niehorster, 2011). This aspect represents an
individual’s satisfaction with the institution where he/she studies.
Considering there are several factors that influence college
adjustment, many theorists agree that achieve a better understanding
of individual development and adjustment, numerous factors should
be examined (Katz & Somers, 2015). Furthermore, many college
adjustment researchers emphasized the importance of analyzing
individual and environmental factors, or different factors (Mounts,
2004; Ratelle et al., 2005). Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological
Systems Theory suggests that there are interactions between
individuals, families, and their communities, and social factors that
drive and direct development (Bronfenbrenner, 1977;
Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006; Katz & Somers, 2015). Examining
individual factors in various contexts has helped to better understand
development. The layers of the environment include microsystem
(factors that are directly related to individuals such as family and
friends), mesosystem (combinations of personal microsystem
factors), exo system (outside factors, which can affect the individual
but are not part of their direct environment), and macrosystem
(global factors, etc). From each of these layers, individuals receive
information about identity, developmental challenges, and resources
or support to overcome those challenges. These layers must be
acknowledged in order to understand the college adjustment
comprehensively (Katz & Somers, 2015). Credé and Niehorster
(2011) suggested that demographic characteristics influence college
adjustments, such as gender, ethnicity, disability, and citizenship. In
addition, age, socioeconomic status, being a first-generation college
student, and the divorce status of the family, are also factors that
influence college adjustment. The next factor is the previous
achievement, cognitive skills reflect an individual’s ability to
process information and acquire new skills quickly. Students who
perform well in high school tend to adjust to academic demands
smoothly and are more adaptable (Credé & Niehorster, 2011).
Another factor is personality, personality has been widely analyzed
and shown to facilitate college adjustment. On the other hand, social
support is also one of the factors that can influence college
adjustment. Social support will benefit students during the transition
period, it may come from various sources including parents,
extended family, friends, faculty, and staff
Objectives
1. To explore the relationship between college adjustment and
emotional maturity

2. To explore the relationship between college adjustment, emotional

maturity and interpersonal problems

3. To explore that how we can solve this problem

4. To check the relationship between college adjustment and

interpersonal problems

Methodology
Descriptive survey research design will be used. The survey-
Sampling based questionnaires will be distributed to 1 st year students. Randon
sampling technique will be used for data collection purpose. The
sample of the present study will be consisted of 200 girls and 200 boys
(N=400).

Measures
The following instruments will be used for data collection:
1. College adjustment scale (CAT ).
Author of this tool is Pennebaker,J.W
In this he use a seven points scale to answer each of the following
questions with
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Not at all somewhat deal a great
2. Emotional maturity test (EMT).
3. Interpersonal problems test (IPT).
Its inventory interpersonal problems test (IIP)test
It’s a 64 items self-report designed to assess interpersonal problems
5 point, Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely)

.
Proposed Analysis
SPSS software will be used to examine and interpret the
records or data received from the survey. To assess the standard
deviation, means, and frequencies of the different variables
descriptive statistics will be used. To find the relationship between
variables among female doctors, Pearson product-moment
correlation will be used. Process analysis will be used for
mediation.
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 Signature of Candidate

Supervisor’s Certificate: I recommended the synopsis for the research work.

Date:
Signature of Proposed Supervisor

The Case has been discussed in the meeting of Board of Studies on

and recommended for approval of the title and name of the supervisor.

Date:

Chairperson of the Department

Date:
Dean of the Faculty

Submitted to mam Sumaya Batool