PSYCHOLOGY OF ADJUSTMENT

INTRODUCTION
According to the American Psychological Association, ADJUSTMENT can be
defined as, “a change in attitude, behavior, or both by an individual on the basis of
some recognized need or desire to change, particularly to account for the current
environment or changing, atypical, or unexpected conditions”.
ADJUSTING TO MODERN LIFE
Adjusting to modern life is always assumed as
 Being more individualistic
 Freedom of speech is achieved
 People are more open-minded
 There is a shift in career perception
 Fast-paced
 Technologically driven
 Nuclear Family
Modern life has made everything very fast paced, i.e., faster communication, faster
education, and so on. With the development of newer ways of living, the rapid
changes around us are very obvious.
Adjustment may be assessed via a type of survey called an Adjustment Inventory.
Hugh McKee Bell published the first version of a test of student adjustment known
as the Adjustment Inventory (later the Bell Adjustment Inventory). It included a
series of questions designed to measure home adjustment, health adjustment, social
adjustment, and emotional adjustment. This is the adult form of the test, published
in 1938. The Adjustment Inventory compares a person’s emotional and social
adjustment with the representative sample of other individuals.
A well-adjusted (healthy adjusted) individual is one who satisfies his/her needs in a
healthy, beneficial manner and demonstrates appropriate social and psychological
responses to situations and demands.
ETYMOLOGY
The word ADJUSTMENT has its roots in the FRENCH language “ajustan” which
literally means: to correct, remedy.
“To adjust” literally means “to make small changes, modifications, regulate or
calibrate something”. For example - adjusting your seatbelt/adjusting hands of a
clock.
“To adjust” implies “to change in order to fit an environment/to fit in somewhere”.
For example – climate change is occurring at an alarming rate, for any species to
adapt instantly – leading to extinction of a number of species, both in plants, as
well as, animals.
PROMINENT DEFINITIONS OF ADJUSTMENT
Adjustment is a process through which an individual tries to strike a balance
between their requirements (need, goals, urges, desires and wants) varying in life.
According to Webster, “adjustment is the establishment of satisfactory
relationship, as representing harmony, conformance and adaptation or the like”.
C. V. Good proposed that, “adjustment is the process of finding and adopting
modes of behavior suitable to the environment or changes in the environment”.
According to Shaffer, “adjustment is the process by which a living organism
maintains a balance between its needs and circumstances, that influence the
satisfaction of this needs”.
ADAPTATION - more biological; can be passed on to the next generation through
genetics.
ADJUSTMENT – more sociological, psychological and related fields; bound to a
particular situation/change. Every person’s capacity to adjust is different.
ADJUSTMENT FROM THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
A cycle of Adjustment begins when a “need” is experienced and it ends when that
particular “need” is satisfied. For instance, hungry people are stimulated by their
psychological need/state to seek food. When they eat, they reduce the stimulating
condition that made them engage in an activity and they are, thereby, adjusted to
this particular “need”.
The process of ADJUSTMENT involves 4 parts:
 1. A need/motive in the form of a strong, persistent stimulus
2. The obstruction/non-fulfillment of this need
3. Varied activity/exploratory behavior, accompanied by problem solving
4. Some response that removes, or at least, reduces the initiating stimulus, and
completes the adjustment process.
Social and Cultural Adjustments are similar to physiological adjustment. People
strive to be comfortable in their surroundings and have their psychological needs
like love/affirmation be met through the social support systems in their life/the
social community/groups that they are a part of.
When certain needs arise, especially in a new/changed surrounding, interpersonal
activities are forced, if it is meant and necessary to satisfy those needs.
In this manner, people increase their familiarity and comfort with their
environment and they come to expect that, their needs will be met in the future
through their social and emotional support systems. Any ongoing difficulty in
social and cultural adjustment may be accompanied by anxiety or depression.
PERSPECTIVES TO ADJUSTMENT
(1) PSYCHOMETRIC APPROACH (Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and Alfred
Adler) – Psychodynamic Approach
The term psychodynamic perspective refers to the theories and therapies developed
by Sigmund Freud and supported by his followers. In addition to Freud, others who
researched and practiced the psychodynamic approach based on Freudian
principles include Adler, Erikson and Jung.
The basis of the psychodynamic perspective is to understand what is going on in
the mind of a person and see what is going on in the unconscious part of the mind.
A. Sigmund Freud Psychoanalytic Theory
 Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality proposes that
“human behavior is the result of the interactions among three component
parts of the mind: the id, ego, and superego”.
 These three components are the THEORETICAL STRUCTURES.
 Dynamic interactions among these fundamental parts of the mind are
thought to progress through five distinct psychosexual stages of
development.
 THE ID
 Most primitive of the three components.
Concerned with instant gratification of basic physical needs and urges.
Operates entirely unconsciously.
It is a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy. The id functions on the
PRINCIPLE OF PLEASURE and is not restricted by reality.
 THE SUPEREGO
Concerned with social rules and morals.
Part of the personality that holds all of the internalized morals and
standards that we acquire from our parents, family, and society at large.
Develops as a child learns what their culture considers right and wrong.
Violation of the superego’s standards results in feelings of guilt or
anxiety and a need to atone for one’s actions.
The superego functions on the PRINCIPLE OF MORALITY.
The superego is present in the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious.
 THE EGO
The rational and pragmatic part of personality.
Partly conscious and partly unconscious.
Freud considered it to be the “self,” and its job is to balance the demands
of the id and superego in the practical context of reality.
Develops in early childhood. Ego functions on the PRINCIPLE OF
REALITY, which seeks gratify the impulses of the Id personality and to
bring long-term pleasure without pain.
Ego is “your sense of reality”.
 HAVING AN EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN THESE 3 STAGES IS
NECESSARY.
PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
Freud proposed that personality development in childhood takes place during five
psychosexual stages. During each of these stages, sexual energy (libido) is
expressed in different ways and through different parts of the body. The 5 stages
are:
 Oral Stage
 Anal Stage
 Phallic Stage
 Latency Stage
 Genital Stage
These are called psychosexual stages because each stage represents the fixation of
libido on a different area of the body
THE ORAL STAGE – Birth to 1 year – MOUTH
 During the oral stage, the infant's primary source of interaction occurs
through the mouth. The mouth is vital for eating, and the infant derives
pleasure from oral stimulation through gratifying activities such as tasting
and sucking.
 During the oral stages, the baby gets much satisfaction from putting all sorts
of things in its mouth to satisfy the libido, and thus its id demands.
 Because the infant is entirely dependent upon caretakers, the child also
develops a sense of trust and comfort through this oral stimulation.
However, it is necessary that the child become less dependent on the
caretakers, since if fixation “do occur”, then at this stage, according to
Freud, the individual would have issues with dependency or aggression.
 Freud said oral stimulation could lead to an oral fixation in later life. Oral
Personalities engage in oral behaviors, such as, nail-biting, finger-chewing
etc.
THE ANAL STAGE – 1 to 3 year – BOWEL AND BLADDER CONTROL
 During the anal stage, Freud believed that the primary focus of the libido
was on controlling bladder and bowel movements.
 During the anal stage of psychosexual development, the libido becomes
focused on the anus, and the child derives great pleasure from defecating.
 The major conflict at this stage is toilet training—the child has to learn to
control their bodily needs. Developing this control leads to a sense of
accomplishment and independence. That is, their ego is developed.
 Success at this stage is dependent upon the way in which parents approach
toilet training. Parents who utilize praise and rewards for using the toilet at
the appropriate time encourage positive outcomes and help children feel
capable and productive.
 Some parents however, punish/ridicule/shame a child for accidents. This
inappropriate parental approach, can lead to a negative outcome.
THE PHALLIC STAGE – 3 to 6 years – GENITALS
  The stage wherein the infant's libido (desire) centers upon their genitalia as
the erogenous zone. At this age, children also begin to discover the
differences between males and females.
 This stage sets a motion of conflicts between erotic attraction, resentment,
rivalry, jealousy and fear which Freud called the Oedipus complex (in
boys) and the Electra complex (in girls).
THE LATENCY STAGE – 6 years to Puberty – INACTIVE SEXUAL
FEELINGS
 During the latency stage, the libido is in “do not disturb mode.”.
 Children develop social skills, values and relationships with peers and adults
outside of the family.
 The development of the ego and superego contribute to this period of calm.
The stage begins around the time that children enter into school and become
more concerned with peer relationships, hobbies, and other interests.
 Period of exploration and most of the child’s energy is channeled into
developing new skills and acquiring new knowledge, and play becomes
largely confined to other children of the same gender.
THE GENITAL STAGE – Puberty to Adult – MATURING SEXUAL INTEREST
 Last stage of Freud's psychosexual theory of personality development.
 Time of adolescent sexual experimentation, the successful resolution of
which is settling down in a loving one-to-one relationship with another
person.
 Individual begins to have strong sexual interest in the opposite sex.
Criticisms of the Psychosexual Stages
o The theory is focused almost entirely on male development with little
mention of female psychosexual development.
o His theories are difficult to test scientifically. Concepts such as the libido are
impossible to measure, and therefore cannot be tested. The research that has
been conducted tends to discredit Freud's theory.
o Future predictions are too vague.
o Freud's theory is based upon case studies and not empirical research. Also,
Freud based his theory on the recollections of his adult patients, not on
actual observation and study of children.
(2) BEHAVIORAL APPROACH (Ivan Pavlov, B. F. Skinner & Albert
Bandura)
Ivan Pavlov and Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning (also known as Pavlovian or respondent conditioning) is
learning through association and was discovered by Pavlov, a Russian
physiologist. In simple terms, two stimuli are linked together to produce a new
learned response in a person or animal.
Ivan Pavlov was researching salivation in dogs in response to being fed. He
inserted a small test tube into the cheek of each dog to measure saliva when the
dogs were fed (with a powder made from meat). Pavlov predicted the dogs would
salivate in response to the food placed in front of them, but he noticed that his dogs
would begin to salivate whenever they heard the footsteps of his assistant who was
bringing them the food.
Pavlov started from the idea that there are some things that a dog does not need to
learn. For example, dogs don’t learn to salivate whenever they see food. This
reflex is ‘hard-wired’ into the dog.
In behaviorist terms, food is an unconditioned stimulus and salivation is an
unconditioned response. (i.e., a stimulus-response connection that required no
learning).
In his experiment, Pavlov used a metronome as his neutral stimulus. By itself the
metronome did not elicit a response from the dogs.
Next, Pavlov began the conditioning procedure, whereby the clicking metronome
was introduced just before he gave food to his dogs. After a number of repeats
(trials) of this procedure he presented the metronome on its own. The sound of the
clicking metronome on its own now caused an increase in salivation.
So, the dog had learned an association between the metronome and the food and a
new behavior had been learned. Because this response was learned (or
conditioned), it is called a conditioned response (and also known as a Pavlovian
response). The neutral stimulus has become a conditioned stimulus.
Pavlov found that for associations to be made, the two stimuli had to be presented
close together in time (such as a bell). He called this the law of temporal
contiguity. If the time between the conditioned stimulus (bell) and unconditioned
stimulus (food) is too great, then learning will not occur.
Skinner’s Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning, also known as instrumental conditioning, is a method of
learning normally attributed to B.F. Skinner, where the consequences of a response
determine the probability of it being repeated. Through operant conditioning
behavior which is reinforced (rewarded) will likely be repeated, and behavior
which is punished will occur less frequently.
Skinner distinguished between two different types of behaviors
 Respondent behaviors: are those that occur automatically and reflexively,
such as pulling your hand back from a hot stove or jerking your leg when the
doctor taps on your knee. You don't have to learn these behaviors. They
simply occur automatically and involuntarily.
 Operant behaviors: are those under our conscious control. Some may occur
spontaneously and others purposely, but it is the consequences of these
actions that then influence whether or not they occur again in the future. Our
actions on the environment and the consequences of that action make up an
important part of the learning process.
Reinforcement is any event that strengthens or increases the behavior it follows.
There are two kinds of reinforcers. In both of these cases of reinforcement, the
behavior increases.
 Positive reinforcers are favorable events or outcomes that are presented after
the behavior. In positive reinforcement situations, a response or behavior is
strengthened by the addition of praise or a direct reward.
 Negative reinforcers involve the removal of an unfavorable events or
outcomes after the display of a behavior. In these situations, a response is
strengthened by the removal of something considered unpleasant.
Skinner saw human behavior as shaped by trial and error through reinforcement
and punishment, without any reference to inner conflicts or perceptions. In his
theory, mental disorders represented maladaptive behaviors that were learned and
could be unlearned through behavior modification.
THE PSYCHOLOGICALLY HEALTHY PERSON (OR) A WELL-
ADJUSTED INDIVIDUAL – the psychologically healthy man?
According to American Psychological Association, “A well-adjusted person is one
who satisfies needs in a healthy, beneficial manner and demonstrates appropriate
social and psychological responses to situations and demands”.
According to Collin’s Dictionary, a well-adjusted person has a mature personality
and can control their emotions and deal with problems without becoming anxious.
The PSYCHOLOGICALLY HEALTHY MAN can be characterized as,
 Being capable to experience and express emotions
 A realistic view of the world
 Straightforward
 Warm
 Friendly
 Independent
 Fairly resilient to stress
 Genuine
 Confident in their own abilities
 Emotionally stable
 Self-appraisal
A well-adjusted person understands their position in the world and readily accepts
the responsibilities that come with it. Adjustment develops over time and is highly
dependent on a person’s upbringing and also on life experiences.
A well-adjusted person knows how to deal with life’s challenges without
compromising on the quality of their life. They also know their strengths and is
constantly working towards improving on their weaknesses, which results in high
self-esteem. A well-adjusted person knows how to conduct realistic self-appraisals,
taking account of where they have failed and where they have succeeded. This
helps in the creation of realistic goals that help them reach their full potential. A
well-adjusted person is self-driven, has a good work-life balance, and is motivated
to achieve personal goals.
BRAIN AREAS INVOLVED AND INFLUENCING AN INDIVIDUAL’S
ABILITY TO ADJUST
Individual differences in adult human brain structure have been found to reveal a
great deal of information about variability in behaviors, cognitive abilities and
mental and physical health.
The Brain is the key organ of Stress Reactivity, Coping and Recovery Process.
Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change and adapt as a result of experience.
Within the human brain, a distributed neural circuitry determines what is
threatening, and thus, stressful to the individual.
INSTRUMENTAL BRAIN SYSTEMS of this circuitry include:
1. Hippocampus
2. Amygdala
3. Pre-frontal cortex
HIPPOCAMPUS - main functions involve human learning and memory. It is also a
part of the limbic system, which is associated with the functions of feeling and
reacting.
AMYGDALA - primarily involved in the processing of emotions and memories
associated with fear. It is the most important part of the limbic system for many
emotions, including aggression.
PRE-FRONTAL CORTEX - implicated in planning complex cognitive behavior,
personality expression, decision making, and moderating social behavior. It can be
divided into several sub-regions. The method of anatomically sub-dividing the PFC
varies, depending on the source, but common demarcations include:
 Dorsolateral region
 Dorsomedial region
 Ventrolateral region
 Ventromedial region
 Orbitofrontal region
Together, these systems regulate PSYCHOLOGICAL and BEHAVIORAL stress
processes, which can be adaptive in SHORT-TERM and maladaptive in LONG-
TERM.
Essentially, such stress processes arise from bidirectional patterns of
communication between the brain and the autonomic, cardiovascular and immune
system via NEURAL and ENDOCRINE mechanism underpinning cognition,
experience and behavior.

MALADJUSTMENT
'Maladjustment' is a process whereby an individual cannot satisfy his personal
needs biological, psychological, or social needs successfully and establishes an
imbalance between and expectations of society, resulting in the disturbance of
psycho-equilibrium.
Maladjustment is “the inability to maintain effective relationships, function
successfully in various domains or cope with difficulties and stresses”. According
to APA, maladjustment may be defined as, “any emotional of a relatively minor
nature”.
Maladjustment may be described as “a failure to meet the demands of society,
inability to adjust to the demands of interpersonal relationships and the stresses of
daily living, inability to react successfully and satisfactorily to one’s environmental
demands”.
CAUSES OF MALADJUSTMENT
(1) Educational and School Factors
In case of MALADJUSTED TEACHERS, there is
 Lack of professional attitude and spirit
 Lack of co-circular activities
 Defective examination system
 Lack of proper attention to peer of a subject
 Inadequate or inaccurate curriculum
(2) Physical and Appearance related causes
An Individual’s physique and appearance play a role in the social
development of the child. Comments/remarks/words by others affect the
behavior of those children who ae considered weak, handicapped, differently
abled or not similar to their peers.
(3) Economic Causes
Children belonging to the low socioeconomic strata (SES) often find
themselves in a position where they are unable to satisfy their wishes and
 wants. Parents of such children, belonging to the SES, often are unable to
satisfy even their essential needs.

(4) Emotional Trauma

Individuals who experience any kind of emotional shock/trauma such as
death, accident, riots, floods, tsunami or any other natural catastrophe,
separation of the parents etc., may manifest or show maladjustment in their
behavior.
(5) Parental Attitudes
Both overprotection and rejection negatively affect adjustment. The
overprotected child becomes keenly dependent on others. He/she also
becomes egocentric, demanding and self-opinionated.
Overprotection of the child may lead to lack of responsibility, lack of
socialization, aggressiveness and selfishness.
On the other hand, a child who is denied affection, adoration, care and love
by parents often develop feeling of unwontedness, rejection and persecution.
Such individuals will engage in socialized diligences like gang activities,
stealing, Truancy (action of staying away from school without a good
reason) and delinquent behaviors.
(6) Social Factors
Lack of coordination between an individual’s motive and other members of
the society and between social and personal values leads to maladjustment.
For instance, lack of employment opportunities makes the youth restless,
anxious and sometimes rebellious against society because of frustration.
(7) Dysfunctional and Broken Families
Children from broken home and families are found to be often more
maladjusted and emotionally disturbed as compared to children from
emotionally, financially and socially stable homes. One of the reasons for
this might lie in the fact that, they do not get the affection, care, love,
sympathy and security that the child needs.