ADJUSTMENT
Meaning
of Adjustment:
Man
is a social animal. He has a unique sense of belonging to a social
environment. While living as a member of a social group, he comes into contact
with people and situations to which he has sometimes to subdue and on which he
has sometimes full control. He smooth living depends upon how well he can
attain degree of inner harmony in his interpersonal and intrapersonal
relationships.
The concept of adjustment means adaptation to physical environments as
well as to social demands. No human being can live apart from his physical
environment. There is action and reaction chain going on between the individual
and his environment. Then there are social pressures and demands of
socialization. To these may be added the individual’s personal demands such as
the satisfaction of physiological needs. All this complex functioning of the
persons demands adjustment.
The process of adjustment becomes still more complicated when his
interaction with one situation comes into conflict with the requirements of the
other situation. One situation may give rise to pleasure while the other may
give rise to pain. The resulting tension may cause disturbance in his psyche,
produce uncomfortable physical symptoms or may even lead to abnormal behavior.
a. Factors Affecting Adjustment at
Home:
i.
A sense of security or home atmosphere: The
atmosphere of the home has a great influence on the mental health and
adjustment of the children. A sense security to the children comes from the love
and affection that they get from their parents and other members of the family.
Their sense of security is also promoted if their needs are properly attended
to. The children to whom love and affection are denied suffer from a feeling of
insecurity, which leads to their maladjustment in school and society.
ii.
Attitude
of the parents: The attitude of the parents towards
their children has a great affect on the capacity of the children to adjust
themselves in society. The over-protective and utterly negligent behavior of
the parents is detrimental to their proper adjustment. The attitude of the
parents should be such that, it should develop self-confidence and reliance in
the children. Over dominating attitude of the parents suppresses the
personality of the children. Let the children free to express and do whatever
they like under the loving care and guidance of their parents. This will
develop courage and confidence in them, which will be conductive to their
mental well-being and mental health.
iii.
Discord
between the parents: In the home where the parents are
frequently quarreling with each other, the children feel insecure which is
detrimental to their mental health. If the quarrels lead to divorce, the mental
balance of the children is lost and they become maladjusted. If the parents are
happy with each other, a very affectionate and comfortable atmosphere is
produced in the home, which makes the children happy, healthy and
well-adjusted.
iv.
Economic
condition of the family: The economic condition of the
family has a great effect on the personality of the child. If the economic
condition of the family is good, then the needs of the children will be
adequately met, which will lead to their proper adjustment. If on the other
hand the economic conditions of the family are not good the needs of the
children will not be properly met and they will develop a feeling on
inferiority and insecurity which may impair their mental health.
v.
Over
ambitious parents: Sometimes the parents become
overambitious for their children and they set high goals of achievement for
them. This leads to mental strain and unbearable intellectual burden for the
children. The perpetual strain on the children has a damaging effect on the
minds of the children, which may impair their mental health. The parents
therefore must have a correct estimate of the capacities and capabilities of
their children and should get goals for them which is within their reach of
achievement. The experience of success will promote their mental well-being.
vi.
Feeling
of rivalry and jealousy: A child may develop feelings of
insecurity due to jealousy and rivalry with his younger brothers and sisters.
The mother’s attention which was previously completely devoted to the first
child is to be shared by the new born child. Thus, the elder child may feel
jealous and develop a feeling of insecurity. This may lead to his
maladjustment.
vii.
Frequent
change of residence: A frequent change of residence or
locality of the home may also develop a feeling of insecurity in the child.
With the change of locality the child has to constantly change his school and
friends. Such children have little chance of effective adjustment. they have to
constantly adjust to entirely new situations. This leads to develop in them a
sense a insecurity, which results in their maladjustment and poor mental
health.
Therefore, the home must be place
full of love and affection and the needs of the children must be properly met
so that the children may enjoy a sense of recognition and security. Such a home
atmosphere is sure to promote mental and emotional health of the children.
b. Factors Affecting Adjustment at
School:
The school can play a
significant role in promoting mental health of the children. A good school
provides an atmosphere in which each pupil is respected as an individual and is
congenital for the all round development of the individual’s personality.
i.
Over
dominating attitude of teachers: The teachers who are
over dominating and use oppressive methods to dealing with the students produce
a fear-psychosis in pupil. They give corporal as well as mental type of
punishments to the students. This reduces mental suppression in the students by
locking their natural expression, existing always in a state of fear. This
leads to mental conflicts and complexes and the impairment of their mental
health.
ii.
Partial
attitudes of teachers: The teacher should always behave
in an impartial manner as far as the students are concerned. If he shows unduly
favorable behavior towards certain students and is unreasonably harsh and
critical towards others, it disturbs the mental balance of the students, which
is harmful for their mental health. The teacher should be very careful about
his remarks concerning the students. The derogatory remarks of the teacher have
very discouraging and negative effect on the minds of the students, which has a
bad effect on their mental health.
iii.
Failure
in school: Failure and sense of inadequacy have a very
damaging effect on the mental health of the students. This results in a feeling
of inferiority in the children and they lose heart in the race of life. Such
student should not be ridiculed; rather they should encouraged to do better or
excel themselves in certain other fields. This will boost their morale and the
inferiority feelings will be minimized. The success in certain activities will
lead to their better adjustment in the school and consequently, they will improve
academically as well.
iv.
Type
of curriculum: We have more or less a single track
curriculum system of curriculum in our schools; i.e. the curriculum is the same
for each and every student. Moreover, the curriculum is bookish and
theoretical. It is also away from the realities and needs of life. Every
student may not be able to fit in this type of curriculum. School curriculum
should be meaningful to the student and should satisfy his needs. The students
should have the feeling that the curriculum will prove useful to them in their
real life. Moreover, the curriculum must be diversified, as recommended by the
Secondary Education Commission, so that the students should be able to select
the courses of study according to their interests and capacities. This will
also reduce the number of failures.
v.
Lack
of co-curricular activities: The students at the
school stage are full of energy and want to be active and busy in one thing or
the other. Simply the academic or the class-work is not sufficient to keep them
busy. Moreover, due to lack of variety, they lose interest in the school programme.
A number of co-curricular activities therefore should be provided in the
school, so that the students are busy all the time and their energies are spent
in the educationally useful activities. This will also lead to the all-round
development of their personalities and every student will get the opportunity
to shine and show himself in one field or the other. This will promote their
mental health and develop them into well adjusted personalities.
vi.
Lack
of facilities in school: There is an utter lack of
facilities in our school. Even sufficient number of classrooms is not provided
in the schools. This leaves the whole atmosphere of the school dull and dry.
The students simply loiter about here and there without any aim or purpose.
This short of atmosphere is hardly conductive for the educational achievements
and general well-being of students. The provision of adequate educational
facilities will go a long way in maintaining and promoting the mental health of
the students.
vii.
Examination:
The present type of school examinations is also responsible for maladjustment
among school children. Examinations are the cause of developing a fear complex
in most of the students. Failure or making a grade in the examinations also
leads to discouragement and frustration. The examinations are also responsible
for cramming and rote-learning , but for passing the examinations. In this way,
no educational purpose is served by the examinations. The fear complex produced
by the examination leads to the maladjustment and the impairment of the mental
health of the students.
viii.
Employment
security: One of the basic factors in the maladjustment of
the students is that even after successful completing their studies, they are
not sure of getting an employment. The defect is both in the system of
education and the economic system which does not provide enough employment
opportunities even to the educated young people. This produces them frustrated
and maladjusted.
ix.
Un-psychological
handling of the teachers: The children are like tender
plants. They require very careful and psychological handling both by the
parents and by the teachers. The children must be treated very sympathetically
and their various types of problems must be solved and handled with
understanding respected and imagination. Their individualities should be
recognized and respect and they should be guided properly whenever such
guidance is necessary. This will ensure sound mental health and well adjusted
personalities.
1.5
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ADJUSTMENT
Main
Areas and Objects of Adjustment are the following:
1. Health Adjustment: One
is said to be adjusted with regard to one’s health and physical development. If
a child’s physical development and abilities are in conformity with those of
his age mates and he does not feel any difficulty in his progress due to some
defects of incapabilities in his physical organs he enjoys full opportunity of
being adjusted.
2. Emotional Adjustment: Emotions
play a leading role in one’s adjustment to self and his environment. An
individual is said to be emotionally adjusted if he is able to express his
emotions in a proper way at a proper time. It requires one’s balanced emotional
development and proper training in the outlet of emotions.
3. Social Adjustment: How
far one is adjusted can be ascertained by one’s social development and
adaptability to the social environment. Social development requires the
development of social qualities and virtues in an individual. It also requires
that one should be social enough to live in harmony with one’s social beings
and feel responsibility and obligation towards one’s fellow beings, society and
country.
4. Home Adjustment: Home
is the source of great satisfaction and security to its members. The
relationships among the family members and their ways of behavior play leading
role in the adjustment of child. All problematic and delinquent behavior is the
result of that adjustment and maladjustment to a great extent in the product of
faulty bearing and uncongenial adjustment at home.
5. School or Occupation Adjustment: Whereas
in the adjustment of adults, their occupation plays a great role, the school
environment casts its influence over the adjustment of the children and the
adolescent.
CAUSES OF MALADJUSTMENT
Causes
related to home or home factors:
i.
Bad
home Conditions: If the home conditions are not
congenital, may lead to maladjustment or cause mental ill-health. Children
coming from broken homes are most maladjusted.
ii.
Poverty
or poor economic condition: Poverty is one of the important causes of
maladjustment. The parents are not in a position to fulfill the genuine needs
and requirements of the child. This leads to maladjustment due to certain
complexes developed by the child.
iii.
Parental
attitude: If the child is neglected and does not get love
and affection from his parents, he will certainly face maladjustment. Sometimes
parents act in a partial manner. They love one child more and ignore the other
one. This type of partiality leads to maladjustment.
iv.
Over
ambitious parents: Sometimes parents expect too much from
their children without properly understanding them or their real capabilities.
The net result is frustration and maladjustment.
School
Factors:
i.
Pupil-Teacher
Relationship: Strained relationship between teacher
and pupil may lead to insecurity on the part of a student who may exhibit
maladjusted behavior.
ii.
School
Failure: Constant failure or bad performance by a child may
also lead to maladjustment.
iii.
Defective
Curriculum: The school curriculum at present is
not diversified and is not accordance with the needs and interests of the
children. The school programme as a whole is not attractive. Consequently
children’s performance remains poor. This over all lack of adjustment with the
organizational climate of the school leads to frustration and maladjustment.
iv.
Examination
System: Examination creates stress and strain in the minds
of the students. This is due to our faulty system of examination. As a result
most of the students have to face maladjustment.
v.
Social
Factors: Society also exerts a significant influence over
the child. Sometime he has to face certain social taboos and situations where
he fails to adjust with them. He gets frustrated and maladjusted.
Some
of the special factors responsible for it are:
i.
Repression
of Natural Instincts due to orthodox society: The
natural instincts of children are repressed.
ii.
Lack
of Recreational Activities: Our present day
society does not provide these modes of recreation. It has a negative attitude
towards them. Children fail to fulfill their physical and mental needs
experience emotional tensions as well as maladjustment.
iii.
Frequent
Change of School and Locality: It is very difficult
for a child to adjust to his new surroundings and environment when there is a
frequent change of school and locality by the family. This leads to
maladjustment.
iv.
Miscellaneous
Causes: These are class distinctions or differences,
employment insecurity, uncertain failure, favoritism, overall frustration and
economic inequality. In the wake of these factors, the children especially the
adolescents become restless and frustrated.
REMEDIES
TO OVERCOME MALADJUSTMENT:
It
is the joint responsibility of the parents, the teachers, educationists and the
leaders of the society to remove the causes of maladjustment. It is very
essential to save the young ones from the un-necessary malady of maladjustment.
Caring and empathy helps to enhance interpersonal skills. Empathy means that a
person fully, deeply understand another person, emotionally as well as
intellectually. He listens to the other person not only with his ears but also
with his eyes and the heart.
Success in life depends on
getting along with other people and having them with us. Empathy and being
caring is very important factor in trying to win people over to our side.
Empathy is defined as the ability to communicate and lead others by
understanding their thoughts, views and also feelings.
The employer in an organization
the leader in a team or the teacher in a school should always think from the
view point of their subordinates, students, team members and understand their
difficulties at all times. This helps in maintaining interpersonal relations at
the work place, an organization and at school.
DEFENCE MECHANISM
Introduction:
Man has a
large variety of needs, physical, psychological, social, economic, moral and so
on. All of those cannot be properly and adequately as most of these need conflict
with each other.
This causes frustration and
produces tension in the mind. Continuous frustrations lead to serious
maladjustment or conditions of mental ill-health. These frustrations and mental
conflicts threaten the individual’s psychological balance. But the human
organism is equipped with mental capacities to protect himself against such
psychological dangers. These mental mechanisms or protective devices are known
as ‘ego defenses’ or defense mechanisms or adjustment mechanisms. They are
protective in that they help the individual in overcoming threats to his ego.
They reduce the distress caused by frustrations and conflicts. They soften the
effects of one’s failures, preserve inner harmony and enable the individual to
make adaptation or adjustment to distressing experiences. This is why they are
also called ‘adjustment mechanisms’.
1. Compensation: When
an individual tries to make up for a deficiency by directing his energies to
another area to secure a measure of success in that area, he is using the
mechanism of compensation. People generally try to overcome a failure in one
area by achieving success in another area. Thus, success in one field
compensates for the failure in the other area. This compensation mechanism
keeps the mind in balance and the necessary adjustment is made in the mind.
2. Rationalization: This
means giving reasons which are similar rather than real in order to justify our
failures or wrong behavior. This amounts to giving justification or making lame
for our deficiencies and drawbacks.
3. Projection:
This means fixing the responsibility of our problems or shortcomings on others
and just justifying ourselves. Attributing to others our own deficiencies and
moral defects means of lessening our own sense, guilt or inadequacy person may
justify his behavior by saying that everyone is selfish these days.
4. Identification: This
is an adjustment mechanism which enables one to derive satisfaction from the
success of other people and groups with which one feels affiliated and related.
The students are related if their school or their team gets some kind of
recognition.
5. Substitution: If
a person does not succeed in achieving the aim which is quite high and loft, may
substitute in its place a lesser aim which is comparatively easy to achieve.
Thus in subscription, a high aim is substituted by a comparatively low aim,
which the person thinks is practically possible to achieve.
6. Sublimation: In
sublimation, our instinctive energies are channelized for the achievement of
lofty and desirable goals. It is a mechanism in which our socially unacceptable
desires are redirected in socially desirable channels. The instinct of fighting
for example may be redirected into fighting against the social evils. Great
works of art and literature are generally the rest of the sublimation of the
baser human instincts.
7. Repression: Repression
is the process of unconscious, un-greatfullness of our unpleasant and conflict
producing emotion and desires. In repression, our strong emotional feelings and
unpleasant memories which do not fit in with our social value and norms are
thrown and repressed into the unconscious mint. These emotions and desires
threaten our ‘ego’ or our mental well being; hence we use the protective device
of repression.
8. Regression: Regression
implies retreat or reversion to childish level or behavior instead of facing
the realities of situation when a problem confronts us. Instead effacing it are
trying to solve it, in a mature and realistic manner, we try to find refuse by
going back or regressing to the childish level behavior. This is trying as if
by explaining to other that I am too immature as yet to face such problems.
9. Negativism:
It implies giving negative response to every demanding situation. This means
trying to evade responsibilities by exhibiting stubborn and rebellious
attitude. For example, a student may refuse to do a household work by saying
that he is too busy with its studies. Actually the cause may be lack of
confidence or just laziness. Steps must be taken to transform negativism into
positivism which can be done by infusing confidence into the individual.
10. Sympathism: In
sympathism, the individual avoids the necessity of solving his problems by
obtaining help and sympathy of others. Instead of facing the situation and
trying to solve the problem an individual may try to invoke the sympathy of
others by telling them his problems and difficulties.
11. Withdrawal: This
also implies refusal to face the problems and withdrawing to one’s ownself and
posing as if no problem exists. This type of behavior is the result of great
timidness and utter lack of confidence. The remedy is to encourage the
individual to face the problems boldly and realistically.
12. Day-Dreaming and Fantasy: This
is also form of withdrawal behavior. This implies withdrawing into a world of
fantasy or day-dreaming. This may be called extreme form of introversion. The
individual begins to entertain the idea in his mind and imagination that all
his desires and ambitions have been fulfilled and therefore, he need not make
any efforts. The individual feels relaxed and happy in his day-dreaming, as he
is not to make any efforts and he is not to solve any problems, this is
complete withdrawal from the real life situation and therefore call for speedy
and expect advice to remedy the situation.
