Environmental Mastery and Self-Acceptance during Emerging Adulthood: A Study of the Determinant Factors in College Students

Abstract

Emerging Adulthood is a transitional and critical period characterized by multiple challenges. How individuals face life transitions are related to their psychological wellbeing considered a process of self-fulfillment. The most fragile psychological wellbeing dimensions during Emerging Adulthood are environmental mastery and self-acceptance. Few studies have explored the determinants of these dimensions, some of these focused on demographic factors, less on the impact of intrapersonal factors. Interest of this study was investigated with a longitudinal study conducted in 243 Emerging Adults (56.4% females), the role of external (gender, relationship status, socioeconomic status) and internal factors (self-esteem and self-control) in environmental mastery and self-acceptance. Only internal factors predicted both dimensions studied explaining approximately 38% of the variance of environmental mastery and 33% of the variance of self-acceptance.  The study suggests that self-esteem and self-control could be important protective factors for EAs attending university to improve their sense of mastery and competence to manage the environment and possess a positive attitude toward the self. These findings add to a growing body of literature highlighting the determinant factors of specific dimensions of PWB of particular relevance during this lifestage and may have important implications in research and clinical fields, providing insights for the development of clinical actions targeting at university students.