RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BROKEN HOMES AND EMOTIONAL ADJUSTMENT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1        Background to the Study

Emotional adjustment can be described as the behavioural process by which human being maintains equilibrium among their various need or between their need and the obstacle of environments. Mallinckrodt (1994). A sequence of adjustment begins when a need is felt and ends when it is satisfied. Hungry individuals, for instance are stimulated by their physiological state to seek food. Therefore, they reduce the stimulating condition that impelled them to activity and there by adjust to this particular need, emotional adjustment is an important task because adjustment during emotions leads to a normal behavior where as maladjustment leads abnormal behaviour. (Baker & Sriyk, 1984b)

The concept of adjustment refers to an individual‘s general adaptation to his environment and the demands of life such as the way he relates to other people that is interpersonal behaviour, handle his responsibility, deals with stress and meet his own needs and life‘s satisfaction. The society is dynamic and change is the only constant thing, so the individual‘s ability to review his attitude and behaviour is an essential ingredient of adjustment, Emotion on the other hand is described as the prime movers of behaviour. Human being is considered as a rational being, but in the grip of emotions people behave like immature. Some people may breakdown completely, others cannot take proper decision and many people even collapse in severe emotional arousal. It may also hamper the studies of students and occupations of people. In some people emotion may lead them commit crime because people lose reasoning power and their ability to control behaviour is hampered. Hence, emotional control and management is very essential for an adjusted life (Elliot, 2005).

Adjustment in school has been described as a very important aspect of students life. The primary purpose of education is to train students to be well adjusted in their emotional life. Human beings have the capacity to adapt to new situations, they do not only adapt to physical demands, but also adapt to emotional pressure, as such emotional pressure plays and important role in the choice students make (Elliot, 2005).

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BROKEN HOMES AND EMOTIONAL ADJUSTMENT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS