Family Relationship, Self-Esteem, And Gender As Factors In Social Maladjustment Of Imo State University Students

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of family relationship, self-esteem, and gender on social maladjustment of Imo State University students. Three hypotheses were postulated to guide the study. Three hundred students were selected through a convenience sampling technique from Imo State University, Owerri. Their ages ranged from 16-25 years with a mean age of 18 years. The participants were administered the Index of Family Relations developed by Hudson (1982), and the Index of Self-Esteem developed by Hudson (1982). and the Social Maladjustment Scale developed by Wiggins (1966). A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, and chi-square statistics were used for data analysis. Results revealed that family relations are a significant determinant of social maladjustment among undergraduates of Imo State University. Self-esteem is a significant determinant of social maladjustment among undergraduates of Imo State University. Also, gender is not a significant determinant of social maladjustment among undergraduates of Imo State University. Recommendations’ and suggestions were made based on the implications of the findings.