Perceived Parental Encouragement and Self-Concept in Relation to Adjustment in Adolescents

Abstract

Parental encouragement, self concept and adjustment are important aspects of adolescent are life and are related with each other. Present study researched up on the contribution of parental encouragement and self concept towards the adjustment of adolescents. 184 adolescents in the age range of 16 to 18 were tested on Parental Encouragement Scale, Adjustment Inventory, and the Self disclosure scale. Analysis of the result revealed that parental encouragement is related to emotional adjustment (r= -.29**, p < 0.01) and have a positive correlation with overall self concept of the adolescents (r=.26**, p < 0.01). Self- Concept was found to have a negative correlation with overall adjustment ( r= -.36**, p < 0.01) with emotional adjustment (r= -.35**, p < 0.01) with social adjustment problems ( r=-.28**, p < 0.01) and educational adjustment problems (r-.16*=p < 0.05). The self concept is negatively related to adjustment because higher score indicates adjustment problems, thus the correlation is negative. Adolescent with Low self concept had more difficulties with adjustment than those who had high self concept. Similarly adolescent who perceived low parental encouragement had adjustment problems.