Adjustment

Adjustment

Contents

Meaning of Adjustment

Definitions of Adjustment 

Characteristics of Adjustment

Process of Adjustment

Factors Affecting Adjustment

Meaning of Adjustment

• In psychology, adjustment refers to the behavioral process of balancing conflicting needs or needs challenged by obstacles in the environment.
• Adjustment is an indicator of a person’s balance between his/her needs / wants / goals and the circumstances.
• The process of adjustment is dynamic and complex. 
• Psychologists have viewed adjustment from two important perspectives:

                          1^st: Adjustment is Achievement
                          2^nd: Adjustment is a Process

• The 1^st point of view emphasizes on the quality or efficiency of adjustment whereas the 2^nd lays emphasis on the process by which an individual comes in terms with external environment.

Definitions of Adjustment

According to Crow and Crow (1956):

“An individual's adjustment is adequate, wholesome or healthful to the extent that he has established harmonious relationship between himself and the conditions situations and persons who comprise his physical and social environment.”

According to Carter V. Good (1959):

“Adjustment is the process of finding and adopting modes of behaviour suitable to the environment or the changes in the environment.”

According to Shaffer (1961):

“Adjustment is the process by which a living organism maintains a balance between its needs and the circumstances that influence the satisfaction of these needs.”

According to Webster (1951):

“Adjustment is the establishment of a satisfactory relationship, as representing harmony, conformance, adaptation or the like.”

 

 

Characteristics of a well adjusted person

A well-adjusted person is supposed to possess the following characteristics:

 1. Awareness of his own strengths and limitations: A well adjusted person knows his own strengths and weaknesses. He tries to make capital out of his assets in some areas by accepting his limitations in others.

2. Respecting him/her-self and others: The dislike for one-self is a typical symptom of maladjustment. An adjusted individual has respect for himself as well as for others.

3. An adequate level of aspiration: His level of aspiration is neither too low nor too high in terms of his own strengths and abilities. He does not try to reach for the stars and also does not repent over selecting an easier course for his advancement.

4. Satisfaction of basic needs: His basic organic, emotional and social needs are fully satisfied or in the process of being satisfied. He does not suffer from emotional cravings and social isolation. He feels reasonably secure and maintains his self-esteem.

5. Absence of a critical or fault-finding attitude: He appreciates the goodness in objects, persons or activities. He does not try to look for weaknesses and faults. His observation is scientific rather than critical or punitive. He likes people, admires their good qualities, and wins their affection.

6. Flexibility in behavior: He is not rigid in his attitude or way of life. He can easily accommodate or adapt himself to changed circumstances by making necessary changes in his behavior.

7. The capacity to deal with adverse circumstances: he is not easily overwhelmed by adverse circumstances and has the will and the courage to resist and fight odds. He has an inherent drive to master his environment rather than to passively accept it.

8. A realistic perception of the world. He holds a realistic vision and is not given to flights of fancy. He always plans, thinks and acts pragmatically.

9. A feeling of ease with his surroundings. A well-adjusted individual feels satisfied with his surroundings. He fits in well in his home, family, neighborhood, school-mates, and other social surroundings. If a student, he likes his school, school teachers, and feels satisfied with his daily routine. When he enters a n ion, he a profess he has a love for it and maintains his zeal and enthusiasm despite all odds.

10. A balanced philosophy of life:  A well-adjusted person has a philosophy which gives direction to his life while keeping in view the demands of changing situations and circumstances. This philosophy is centered around the demands of his society, culture, and his own self so that he does not clash with his environment or with himself.

Process of Adjustment

• Adjustment can be seen as a process by which a person makes changes in his/her behavior to make or develop a balanced relationship with his/her environment.
• A maladjusted person is unable to make changes in his/her behavior according to the environment whereas a well adjusted person can make changes in his/her behavior according to the environment.
• Due to the lack of adjustment, a person gets upset, sad and has to face unfavorable situations.
• There are different ways in which a person affects his/her environment and his/her environment affects him/her in the process of adjustment.
• In the 1^st stage, an individual tries to make unfavourable (or odd) environment favourable for himself/herself. In case of failure, the individual tries to adapt him/her-self to the unfavourable situation or environment.
• In some cases, changes occur in the individual and the environment according to the circumstances.
• Adjustment is a dynamic process which gets affected by various factors linked to the individual such as physical health, mental hygiene, family, environment etc.

Factors Affecting Adjustment

There are many factors which can have harmful effect on the process of adjustment.

Due to the negative effects of these factors, the power of the individual’s adjustment weakens and they get drawn to maladjustment.

Following are factors affecting maladjustment:

1. Heredity

• Sometimes children get certain mental traits like autism, depression, ADHD etc from their ancestors through heredity which affects their adjustment negatively.
• Defected (or faulty) heredity causes mental weakness, illness and instability in children which further causes difficulty in adjustment.

2. Physical Health

• Physical health has a deep relationship with adjustment.
• Good physical health is essential for well adjustment.
• Children who are physically weak and unhealthy have lower capability to adjust themselves according to the circumstances.

3. Physical Defects

• Inborn or accidental physical defects in people cause difficulty in adjustment.
• Feeling of shame/guilt and inferiority complex develops in children with physical defects and they find it hard to adjust themselves with their friends and other circumstances.

4. Family Environment

• Family plays an important role in the overall development of a child.
• Family discipline, financial status, aspirations, relations with family members etc affects the adjustment of a child.
• Over discipline or no discipline; lack of necessary objects or possession of excessive objects; breaking relationships in family, biasness, etc leads to maladjustment of children.

5. Society

• Since child is a social being. Therefore, society also has its affects on adjustment.
• A defected society and social environment has adverse effects on adjustment of the child.
• Conflicts in society, discrimination of castes, religious conflicts, lack of morals, lack of independence etc leads to maladjustment in children.

6. School

• Schools also affect the adjustment of a child.
• School’s environment, curriculum, teaching methods classmates, behavior of teachers, etc affects the adjustment process of children in many ways.
• Fear in school, burdensome curriculum, teaching methods not being psychological, fighting with or getting bullied by classmates, rude and strict behavior of teacher etc leads to maladjustment in children.