Undergraduates’ Social and Psychological Functioning: The Need for Social Re-orientation

Abstract

Transition from secondary school to higher institution, is a critical period in psychosocial functioning and development of individual which is marked by an expansion of peer networks, increased importance of friendships including romantic relationships, and recognition. Primarily, positive psychosocial functioning and development contribute in important ways to individual’s wellness and mental being. Therefore, this study was designed to examine the need for social re-orientation on undergraduates’ social and psychological functioning. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design of expost-facto type. In this study, a total of 450 undergraduates from three universities (one federal, one state, and one private universities), Ogun State, Nigeria were randomly selected. self-developed instrument tagged “Undergraduates’ Psycho-sociological Functioning Questionnaire (UPFQ)” was used to measure undergraduate’s ability to relate well with self and others, connect and maintain positive relationships with significant others - family, friends, co-students, faculty and staff; and wellbeing. Data analysis was done with descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed a direct relationship between undergraduates’ social and psychological functioning (r = .533 at P = .01); significant gender differences was found in undergraduates’ psychological functioning (t-cal = 3.900, t-crit = 1.960, P @ .05) and sociological functioning (t-cal = 2.876, t-crit = 1.960, P @ .05). Also, a statistical significant influence of age existed on undergraduates’ social (P<.05, F(3,432)= 2.780) and psychological (P<.05, F(3,432)= 8.591) functioning. This study concluded that individual social and psychological life (functioning) of individual is only one of many life domains that play an important role in overall happiness, life satisfaction, or subjective well-being. Also, this study recommended that individual changes in social perception, social emotion, and social cognition are instantiated in their wellbeing.