Article Title: Relationship between Emotional Autonomy and Behaviour Problems Among Adolescents: Moderating Impact of Gender
Author(s): Sadia Ahmad, Atiqa Rafeh, and Masooma Rafique
Institute(s): National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
Journal: Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 2018, Vol. 33, No. 2, 473-492
Correspondence Address: Sadia Ahmad, Islamabad Model College for Girls (PG), F-7/2, Islamabad, Pakistan. Email: sadiaahmad715@gmail.com
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between emotional autonomy and externalizing and internalizing behavior problems along with the moderation of this relationship by gender among adolescents. The sample for this research included 215 adolescents, aged between 16 to 18 years, boys (n = 85) and girls (n = 130), from the educational institutions of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The measures used to access emotional autonomy and behaviour problems were the Emotional Autonomy Scale (Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986) and the Child Problems Checklist (Tariq & Hanif, 2007) respectively. Positive relationship between emotional autonomy and externalizing as well as internalizing behaviour problems was observed as shown by results. Boys were found to be more emotionally autonomous while girls were high on internalizing behaviour problems. The adolescents belonging to public sector institutions were high on emotional autonomy. The effect of emotional autonomy on externalizing behaviour problems was moderated by gender. However, the results for behaviour problems (overall) and internalizing behaviour problems were nonsignificant.
Keywords: Adolescence, emotional autonomy, behaviour problems, gender
