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Emotional Maturity Among Adolescents

Article in International Journal of Indian Psychology · July 2022

DOI: 10.25215/1001.153

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The International Journal of Indian Psychology
ISSN 2348-5396 (Online) | ISSN: 2349-3429 (Print)
Volume 10, Issue 1, January- March, 2022
DIP: 18.01.153.20221001, DOI: 10.25215/1001.153
https://www.ijip.in
Research Paper

Emotional Maturity Among Adolescents

Shanet Ann Jose1, Inchara Chamaiah Swamy2*

ABSTRACT
The study aimed to examine the level of Emotional Maturity among adolescents in the age
range of 18 to 23 years. The research was conducted on 120 adolescents who were
undergraduate students. The sample consisted of 60 male and 60 female subjects. A random
sampling method was employed to choose the sample for the research study. Emotional
Maturity Scale (EMS) developed by Dr. Yashvir Singh and Dr. Mahesh Bhargava was used
to assess the level of Emotional Maturity among adolescents. The data obtained was
subjected to analysis using Mean, SD and ‘t’ test. The data analysed revealed that the
Emotional Maturity among male and female was similar. There was no significant difference
in the level of Emotional Maturity among urban and rural undergraduate students. The results
of data analysed revealed a similar level of Emotional Maturity among adolescents who had
multiple siblings and who had no siblings.

Keywords: Emotional Maturity, Adolescents, Urban, Rural and Siblings

M aturity is the ability of an individual in responding to situations and being aware

when to act according to the situations. The word meaning of ‘mature’ is ‘ripe’ or
‘full development’. Meanwhile, the psychological meaning of ‘mature’ is ‘more
flexible’. Maturity of a person develops when they socialize with people and interact with
them. They actively convert the troublesome situation to serenity filled environment. The
time of development of matured behaviour differ from person to person. It depends upon the
society, family setting and peer group. A matured person will have the capability to handle
painfulness, vexation, exasperation, delicacy and discomforting circumstances.

On the other hand, emotion is nothing but the human response towards a particular thought
or behaviour. The word ‘emotion’ is derived from the Latin word ‘emovere’ meaning ‘to
move out’ or ‘to stir up’. The emotions are expressed by people in different ways. These
emotions can be love, disgust, fear, happiness, hatred, joy, anger and so on. Emotion can be
considered as an important element in a person’s character. The emotions which a person
exhibits are created by the brain. It is the way in which the brain had understood the
meaning of certain actions based on the past experience. Emotion of a person is very
important because it plays a vital role in the cognition and behaviour. These emotions will
lead an individual to take decision in his life.

1
Student, Christ College, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
2
Assistant Professor, Christ College, Mysuru, Karnataka, India
*Corresponding Author
Received: October 22, 2021; Revision Received: March 27, 2022; Accepted: March 31, 2022
© 2022, Jose S. A. & Swamy I. C.; licensee IJIP. This is an Open Access Research distributed under the terms of
the Creative Commons Attribution License (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any Medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
 Emotional Maturity Among Adolescents

There are mainly two kinds of maturity, namely, Emotional Maturity and Physical Maturity.
Physical Maturity suggests the bodily growth and development of an individual as he grow
up. Whereas Emotional Maturity is a personality trait, who succeed in controlling the
immediate emotion and acts wisely after analyzing the situation. It is being truthful to one’s
own emotion and creating faith to the people associated with him. Emotional Maturity
suggests a stage in an individual’s life wherein he faces the reality. One who manages his
emotions perfectly and be stress free can be successfully termed as an emotionally matured
person.

Emotional Maturity gained importance in the past few years. Number of researches and
studies were conducted both in India and abroad. In 1984, Arya A conducted a study related
to Emotional Maturity and value of superior children in the family [19]. The research found
out that the superior girls and boys did excellent on Emotional Maturity tests and also
superior intelligence reveals high relation with Emotional Maturity. Emotional Maturity
develops gradually from birth onwards. Thus, older children will have higher level of
Emotional Maturity which in turn develops his/her level of intelligence. Kaur, S. (2000)
conducted a study and found a significant relation between Emotional Maturity, home,
school and the psychological environment [23]. The study showed that girls were more
mature than boys and rural students appeared to be more mature than urban students. In
2000, Anju found a positive and a significant relationship between Emotional Maturity and
intelligence of an individual. It opens the fact that the matured person can be more
intelligent [17].

METHODS
Sample
The sample consists of 120 adolescents of which 60 of them are Male students and 60 of
them are Female students, in the age group of 18-23 years. Random Sampling method was
used to select the students for the current study.

GENDER Male Female TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 60 60 120

Objectives of the study

• To understand and compare the level of Emotional Maturity among male and female
students.
• To compare the difference in the level of Emotional Maturity of the students living in
urban and rural.
• To understand the level of Emotional Maturity among the students who are single
child and students who have siblings.
• To compare the level of Emotional Maturity of the students with nuclear family and
joint family.

Hypothesis of the study

The following hypothesis are reviewed for the current study:
• H (1) There is a significant relation in Emotional Maturity among Male and Female
students.
• H (2) There is a significant difference in Emotional Maturity between the students
from urban and rural areas.

© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 1498
 Emotional Maturity Among Adolescents

• H (3) Emotional Maturity among students who have no siblings have low level of
Emotional Maturity.
• H (4) Emotional Maturity is high among students in joint family.

Procedure
The study was conducted on the sample of 120 adolescents among whom 60 are males and
60 are females. The sample for the study was taken using Random Sampling technique. The
required data is collected in a class room setting. The age-limit is from 18-23 years. A good
rapport was maintained with the individuals and then the Emotional Maturity Questionnaire
was given. A brief introduction about the project has been explained to the individuals. Then
they were instructed as: This is a personal information schedule. There are some set of
questions in the questionnaire where you should answer it correctly. The information given
by you will be used only for the research purpose and it will be kept strictly confidential.
Please feel free to ask any clarification. With these instructions the data will be collected and
further scoring will be done.

The test was administered very carefully. Further, scoring and interpretation was done. All
the responses of the subject in the Emotional Maturity Questionnaire was recorded
following the scoring procedure as mentioned in the answer key and the norms. The data
obtained is further subjected to analysis.

Tool used in the Study

The tool used in the study was chosen on the basis of objectivity, validity and reliability of
the tool. In the current study, following research tool is used:
• Emotional Maturity Scale of Dr. Yashvir Singh and Dr. Mahesh Bhargava

Emotional Maturity Scale (EMS)

This Emotional Maturity Scale was developed by Dr. Yashvir Singh and Dr. Mahesh
Bhargava. The scale deals with five broad factors which include the following:
• Emotional Stability: This factor can be used to know an individual’s capability in
controlling the mood swings in any emotive situation.
• Emotional Progression: It refers to the feeling of an individual to ensure adequate
advancements of emotion in relation to the environment which aids in positive
thinking.
• Social Adjustment: An individual who keeps a healthy relation between the needs of
an individual and demands of social environment in any situation.
• Personality Integration: The ability of an individual to firmly unite the diverse
personality with each other.
• Independence: The individual’s tendency to rely on oneself or resist the control of
others, where he can freely take decisions by his own judgement.

Scoring Procedure: Emotional Maturity Scale is a self-reporting five-point scale. Items of

the scale are in question form, which demands the information for each in either of the
options such as, Very Much, Much, Undecided, Probably and Never. The score of 5 is given
if the answer is Very Much, the score of 4 is given if the answer is Much, the score of 3 is
given if the answer is Undecided, the score of 2 is given if the answer is Probably and the
score of 1 is given if the answer is Never. Therefore, total score on the scale is indicated of
Emotional Maturity whereas the greater score on the scale is expressed in terms of
Emotional Immaturity.

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 Emotional Maturity Among Adolescents

Statistical techniques used in analysing the data

In order to analyse the data, the following statistical techniques are applied based on the
objectives and hypothesis of the study. The researcher used Descriptive Statistical
Techniques such as Mean and Standard Deviation (SD) and Inferential Statistical techniques
such as t-test and ANOVA. Data Analysis is done by SPSS software.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The obtained data is analysed as below:
Table No. 1: Level of Emotional Maturity among male and female students.
GROUP STUDENTS
MALE FEMALE
Mean 105.45 107.83
Standard Deviation 13.452 18.113
SEM 1.737 2.338
N 60 60
t-value -.818
p-value .156

The above table reveals the level of Emotional Maturity among the male and female
students. The mean scores of the level of Emotional Maturity among male and female
students are 105.45 and 107.83, respectively. This score indicates a slightly lower scores for
female than men, which indicates that out of the samples taken, male are a bit more
emotionally mature than female. It is maybe because female are more expressive and
sentimental than males [13]. Henceforth, the results shown in the table tells us that there is
no significant relation in Emotional Maturity among male and female students.

Table No. 2: Level of Emotional Maturity of students based on domicile.

GROUP STUDENTS
URBAN RURAL
Mean 105.62 107.80
Standard Deviation 14.672 17.321
SEM 1.834 2.315
N 64 56
t-value -.746
p-value .812

The above table reveals the level of Emotional Maturity among the male and female students
living in urban and rural areas. The mean score of the Emotional Maturity based on the
student’s domicile are 105.62 for urban and 107.80 for rural, respectively. From the table, it
is clear that the mean score is more for the students coming from rural areas. Also, it is very
evident that there is no significant difference in the level of Emotional Maturity of the
students living in urban and rural areas.

Table No. 3: Level of Emotional Maturity of the students who are single child and
multiple children.
GROUP STUDENTS
SINGLE CHILD MULTIPLE CHILDREN
Mean 105.40 106.89
Standard Deviation 12.680 16.549

© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 1500
 Emotional Maturity Among Adolescents

SEM 2.835 1.655

N 20 100
t-value -.380
p-value .136

The above table shows the relation between the level of Emotional Maturity and the students
who are single child and multiple children. The mean scores of the level of Emotional
Maturity based on the number of the children are 105.40 and 106.89, for single child and
multiple children, respectively. The results show a slight lower score for single child than
multiple children. However, the above table reveals that there is no significant difference in
Emotional Maturity between male and female students.

Table No. 4: Level of Emotional Maturity of students with nuclear family and joint
family.
GROUP STUDENTS
NUCLEAR FAMILY JOINT FAMILY
Mean 107.50 97.20
Standard Deviation 16.025 11.736
SEM 1.528 3.711
N 110 10
t-value 1.981
p-value .321

The above table reflects the level of Emotional Maturity of the students with nuclear family
and joint family. From the above table, the mean score for nuclear family is 107.50 and for
joint family is 97.20. This score indicates that there is slight lower result for joint family
than nuclear family. Henceforth, the above table reveals that there is no significant
difference in Emotional Maturity of the students with nuclear family and joint family.

Table No. 5: Level of Emotional Maturity of the students associated with different
dimensions of the Emotional Maturity Scale
GROUP DIMENSIONS
Emotional Emotional Social Personality Independence
Stability Progression Adjustment Integration
Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Mean 24.47 25.52 21.60 22.27 20.58 20.80 20.40 20.52 18.40 18.73
Standard 4.006 5.325 3.227 3.853 2.612 3.241 2.744 3.539 2.612 3.579
Deviation
SEM .517 .687 .417 .497 .337 .418 .354 .457 .337 .462
N 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60
t – value -1.221 -1.028 -.403 -.202 -.583
p - value .111 .457 .163 .118 .127

The above table reveals the level of Emotional Maturity of students associated with different
dimensions of the Emotional Maturity Scale. For Emotional Stability, the mean score for
Male and Female students are 24.47 and 25.52. For Emotional Progression, the mean score
for Male and Female students are 21.60 and 22.27. For Social Adjustment, the mean score
for Male and Female students are 20.58 and 20.80. For Personality Integration, the mean
score for Male and Female students are 20.40 and 20.52. For Independence, the mean score
for Male and Female students are 18.40 and 18.73, respectively. It is evident from the table

© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 1501
 Emotional Maturity Among Adolescents

that there is no significant difference in Emotional Maturity level of the students relating to
the dimensions in the Emotional Maturity Scale.

DISCUSSION
The study aimed at the level of Emotional Maturity among male and female students, the
results shows that there is no significant difference in the level of Emotional Maturity
among male and female students. The results of the mean applied to each group reflects that
neither male nor female differ significantly in the level of Emotional Maturity and from the
tables the values found to be non-significant.

The above results are supported by the studies conducted by Kashyap (1989), Kaur (2001)
[1], Mahajan (2001) and Lekhi (2005) [13] proved no significant difference in Emotional
Maturity among male and females.

In a similar study by Mukesh Kumar Panth, N Chaurasia, M Gupta (2015) it has been found
that there is no significant difference between boys and girls Adjustment Inventory College
Students and Emotional Maturity Scale [8].

The outcome of the current study is correlated with the previous study conducted by Dr.
Surjit Singh Paur (2014) who observed that there is no significant difference between boys
and girls as well as rural and urban students on the basis of their emotional maturity [13].

In another study, Dimpy Mahanta, V Kannan (2015) rightly observed that there is no
significant difference in emotional maturity between the two genders [5]. A study conducted
by Dona Rai (2017) found out that there is no correlation between the emotional intelligence
and emotional maturity of undergraduate students [10].

Henceforth, our findings that there is no significant difference in Emotional Maturity among
male and female students, looking at the results, is complimentary to the previous studies.

CONCLUSION
• Emotional Maturity did not significantly differ among male and female students.
• The majority of the students are extremely emotionally immature.
• Male are more emotionally mature than female.
• Emotional Maturity of the student and domicile of the students are not significantly
related.
• There is no significant relation between emotional maturity and the students who are
single child and multiple children.
• No significant difference can be found between emotional maturity of the students
with nuclear family and joint family.

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 Emotional Maturity Among Adolescents

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Acknowledgement
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to each and every participant
in our study who willingly shared their responses by spending their valuable effort and time.

Conflict of Interest
The author(s) declared no conflict of interest.

© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 1503
 Emotional Maturity Among Adolescents

How to cite this article: Jose S. A. & Swamy I. C. (2022). Emotional Maturity Among
Adolescents. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 10(1), 1497-1504.
DIP:18.01.153.20221001, DOI:10.25215/1001.153

© The International Journal of Indian Psychology, ISSN 2348-5396 (e)| ISSN: 2349-3429 (p) | 1504

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