Personality and Adjustment to The Hostel Environment

ABSTRACT Adjustment is a process by which a living organism maintains a balance between its needs and the circumstances. It is therefore, a state of harmony between the needs, activities, and resources of a person and the condition of his milieu (Boring, 1948). Over all, it is a harmonious relationship between the individual and the environment. In the process of adjustment of man, two factors, namely, individual factors and environmental factors operate together. The individual factors deal with his personality and operate in adjustment. Allport (1961) defined personality as the dynamic organization with in the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustment to the environment. Eysenck (1978) defined personality is more or less stable and enduring organization of a person's character, temperament, intellect and physique which determines his unique adjustment to his environment. The present study is intended to examine the personality and adjustment of hostel students. It is thus, the degree of harmonious relationship that is maintained in striking a balance between ones requirements and the varying situations in a hostel. The adjustment is embodied with many personality and environmental factors. The personality factors included in the study are self-pity, loneliness, emotionality, health, academic and social adjustments. The environmental factors are room, toilet, food and dining hall, hostel mates and servants.