A Study of Self-Esteem and Emotional Maturity among Students

This study examines self-esteem and emotional maturity among college students, with a focus on gender differences. The sample consisted of 100 college students from the Kolhapur district, with an equal number of male and female participants (n = 50 each). The students’ ages ranged from 18 to 24 years, with an average age of 21.74 years. The Self-Esteem Scale (SES) by Dr. Santosh Dhar and Dr. Upinder Dhar (23 items) and the Emotional Maturity Scale (48 items) by Yashvir Singh and Mahesh Bhargava were used as tools for data collection. The study found that male students reported significantly higher self-esteem (M = 84.36, SD = 3.67) compared to female students (M = 70.78, SD = 4.02), with a statistically significant difference (t(98) = 17.64, p < .01). Similarly, male students exhibited higher emotional maturity (M = 136.82, SD = 5.23) than female students (M = 127.58, SD = 4.59), also with a significant difference (t(98) = 9.38, p < .01). Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between self-esteem and emotional maturity for both genders (males: r = 0.77, females: r = 0.77, p < .01). These results suggest that male students possess higher levels of self-esteem and emotional maturity than female students. The study highlights the role of gender socialization and biological factors in shaping emotional development and self-perception among college students.