Psychosocial Adjustment Case Study

4. Psychosocial Predictors of Adjustment

Because of the dynamics of adjustment there are several variables that can influence the process of adjustment and it can vary from person to person.
4.1 Personality

“Personality is the sum total of everything that constitutes a person's mental, emotional, and temperamental make-up” and it includes all the elements that one must consider when wanting to understand behaviour (Tiffin, Knight and Jackson, 1946). Caspi, Roberts and Shiner, (2005), defines personality as “individual differences in the tendency to behave, think, and feel in certain consistent ways”. According to Allport (1961). “Personality is a dynamic organization, inside the person, of psychophysical systems that create the person’s

If this process are not successful, the individual will struggle with knowing who they are (Marcia et al., 1993). Self-acceptance plays a key role in self-esteem which include the elements, self-confidence and self-depreciation. An individual places an intrinsic value on who they are, if the external environment confirms the intrinsic value individuals place on themselves, it enhances their self-esteem. On the other hand self-esteem will be decrease when the environment do not allow for individuals to build their self-esteem. Past studies suggest that there is a direct connection between of self-esteem and well-being (Yap, & Baharudin,

According to Bandura (1997) an individual uses self-efficacy to stay in control of their life. Bandura suggests that self-efficacy include characteristics like the ability to understand and anticipate, the ability to understand others as well as the self and relies on the belief that one is capable of coping in stressful situations. Skaalvik and Skaalvik (2010) cited in (Erozkan et al 2016), describe self-efficacy as “an agent related to individuals’ perceptions about their capacity in carrying out the roles prescribed for them in order to achieve a set of goals and objectives”. High levels of self-efficacy correlates with a positive approach to life and problem solving. Individuals who fall within this category are able to set goals for themselves and are committed to their goals, they are also confident because they believe in their own capabilities (Luszczynska, Gutiérrez-Doña, & Schwarzer, 2005; Pajares, & Urdan,