Institutional Influence on Interpersonal
Relationship and Submissive Behaviour
of Physically Challenged Adolescents
Y. Elin Shibi
Dr B. William Dharma Raja
Professor & Head,
Department of Education,
Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli.
Abstract
This study was
purported to measure the characteristic of Submissive Behaviour of Physically
Challenged Adolescents and the impact of the same on their Interpersonal
Relationship. Survey method was used for this study. Stratified random sampling
technique was used to collect the data with the sample of 94 students of standard
9 to standard 12 students in different schools in Tirunelveli District. The
collect data using the Self-made tools were analysed using ‘t’ test and
Kruskal-Wallis test. The result indicated that more than two third of the
Physically Challenged Adolescents had average level of Interpersonal
Relationship and Submissive Behaviour. Recommendations for further research as
were also given in this study.
Key words: Interpersonal Relationship, Submissive Behaviour, Introvert.
It is through the
interpersonal relationship that persons manifest mental disorder. Personality
is comparatively a continuing pattern of recurrent international situations
which characterize a human life (Sullivan, 1953). Interpersonal relationships
involve more than one person – that is to say, some form of relating to one
another in the process of relationships. It also involves some form of
integrating tendencies that bring together adolescents in the pursuit of
relationships (Benjamin, 1996; Kiesler, 1996). The interpersonal relationship
expounds the relationship that exists between two persons within the group, or
with others. Submissive
behaviour means shying away from saying what he/she really mean and not seeking
to achieve his/her needs, particularly when someone else has conflicting needs.
Significance of
the Study
The study focuses on the impact of
interpersonal relationship and submissive behavior of adolescents who are
physically challenged. These adolescents come under the group of exceptional
children. Physical challenged children are those children who have the physical
disability like muscular dystrophy, impairments in the joints of bones,
osteomyelitis, poliomyelitis, paralysis, cerebral palsy, club foot, epilepsy,
multiple sclerosis etc., because of these deformities, these children suffer
from lack of interpersonal relationship. Their physical disability may be
exhibited in submissive behavior patterns. The physical disability causes them
to be introvert, with low self-esteem, and having withdrawal symptoms. The
submissive behavior of adolescents such as introvert nature, pessimistic
outlook, emotional instability, passive, self-centred, anxiety ridden,
helplessness, lack of self-concept and
lack of interpersonal relationships are associated with one’s personal
experience. Hence, they lack interpersonal relationship with friends and peers.
Objectives
i)
To find the level of
interpersonal relationship and submissive behaviour of physically challenged
adolescents;
ii)
To find the significant difference,
if any, in the interpersonal relationship among physically challenged
adolescence with regard to institutional variables;
iii)
To find the significant
difference, if any, in the submissive behaviour among physically challenged
adolescence with regard to institutional variables; and
iv)
To find relationship between
interpersonal relationship and submissive behaviour of physically challenged
adolescents.
Method Employed for the Study:
Survey method was followed in this study.
Population and Sample:
The population for the present study consisted of
physically challenged students studying 9th – 12th in
Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu. From the population, 94 students were
selected using stratified random sampling technique. The sample were from rural
and urban areas of Tirunelveli district.
Tools Used
The investigator used the following two tools for collecting the
data.
i.
ElWi’s Scale on
Interpersonal Relationship
A questionnaire on ‘Interpersonal Relationship’ was
constructed and validated by Y. Elin Shibi and B.William Dharma Raja (2012) and
was named as ElWi’s Scale on Interpersonal Relationship (ESIR). It was
given to three experts for establishing the constant validity. The reliability
of the tool was established by Split-half technique method and its reliability
coefficient was found to be 0.72 and 0.83 respectively.
ii. Submissive Behaviour Scale
The Submissive Behaviour Scale was developed by Gilbert and Allan (1994)
and refined by Allan and Gilbert (1997).
It consists of 16 examples of submissive behaviour, which people rate as
a behavioural frequency (from 0 = Never to 3 = Always). The scale has good
reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha of .89, and four-month test-retest
reliability of r = .84, p< .001 with a student population
(Gilbert et al., 1996).
Data Analysis
The
collected data were analysed using Kruskal-walli’s test. Since the distribution of the collected data with regard to the
nature of institution is non-normal, Kruskal - Wallis test (Non-parametric
test) is employed to find the significance of difference.
Table 1
Levels of Interpersonal
Relationship and submissive behavior of Physically Challenged Adolescents
Variable
|
Level of Interpersonal
relationship
|
|||||
Low
|
Average
|
High
|
||||
N
|
%
|
N
|
%
|
N
|
%
|
|
Interpersonal
Relationship
|
17
|
18.5
|
59
|
64.1
|
16
|
17.4
|
Submissive Behaviour
(Total)
|
13
|
14.1
|
56
|
60.9
|
23
|
25.0
|
It is inferred
from the above table that, more than two third of the physically challenged
adolescents have average level of interpersonal relationship and submissive
behavior.
Table 2
Significance of Difference in Interpersonal
Relationship of Physically Challenged Adolescents with regard to Nature of the
Institution
Dimension
|
Nature of the Institution
|
N
|
Mean Rank
|
χ2
|
df
|
P Value
|
Assertion of Needs
|
Boys
|
9
|
34.17
|
2.634
|
2
|
.268
|
Girls
|
14
|
43.29
|
||||
Coeducation
|
69
|
48.76
|
||||
Bidirectional Communication
|
Boys
|
9
|
43.56
|
.666
|
2
|
.717
|
Girls
|
14
|
42.04
|
||||
Coeducation
|
69
|
47.79
|
||||
Conflict
|
Boys
|
9
|
31.11
|
7.042
|
2
|
.030*
|
Girls
|
14
|
35.75
|
||||
Coeducation
|
69
|
50.69
|
||||
Disclosure and Interpersonal Closeness
|
Boys
|
9
|
30.50
|
3.989
|
2
|
.136
|
Girls
|
14
|
51.82
|
||||
Coeducation
|
69
|
47.51
|
||||
Emotional Experience and Expression
|
Boys
|
9
|
53.11
|
.747
|
2
|
.688
|
Girls
|
14
|
48.11
|
||||
Coeducation
|
69
|
45.31
|
||||
Interpersonal
Relationship
|
Boys
|
9
|
35.94
|
2.445
|
2
|
.295
|
Girls
|
14
|
41.54
|
||||
Coeducation
|
69
|
48.88
|
* Significant at 5 % level
In
the above table the P value is greater than 0.05. Hence the null hypothesis is
accepted. It shows that there is no significant difference in interpersonal
relationship of physically challenged adolescents with regard to nature of the
institution. But there is significant difference in the dimension ‘conflict’
with regard to the nature of the institution.
Table
3
Significance of difference in Submissive Behaviour of
Physically Challenged Adolescents with regard to Nature of the Institution
Variable
|
Nature of the Institution
|
N
|
Mean Rank
|
χ2
|
df
|
P Value
|
Submissive Behaviour
|
Boys
|
9
|
27.56
|
7.616
|
2
|
.022
|
Girls
|
14
|
38.14
|
||||
Coeducation
|
69
|
50.67
|
In the above table the P value is less than 0.05. Hence
the null hypothesis is rejected. It shows that there is significant difference
in submissive behaviour of physically challenged adolescents with regard to
nature of the institution.
Findings of the Study
- More than two third of the physically challenged adolescents have average level of interpersonal relationship.
- More than two third of the physically challenged adolescents have average level of submissive bahaviour.
3.
There is no significant
difference in interpersonal relationship of physically challenged adolescents
with regard to nature of institution – Boys school, Girls school and
Co-education school.
4.
There was no
significant difference in submissive behavior of physically challenged
adolescent with regard to the nature of the institution.
Recommendations
On the
basis of the findings, the following recommendations were derived.
Now-a-days, people
with physical disability have become the priorities and they ought to be beneficial
in all walks of life. The government has to strengthen the necessary
infrastructural facility to the physically challenged adolescents to overcome
the submissive behavior so as to develop interpersonal relationship.
The management should provide pleasant environment for the
physically challenged adolescents. The
teachers have to guide mingle with others. If the differently able adolescents
are marginalized and/or overprotected.
Teachers should encourage them to participate the
extracurricular activities and games & sports, which enhance their level of
confidence. The physically challenged adolescents need to play as much as their
non-disabled peer. Continuous encouragement and special care should be provided
by the teachers, as it helps to develop interpersonal relationship and diminish
submissive behaviour among physically challenged adolescents.
If the parents try to fathom the aptitude of such
children and help them to utilize their talent capabilities properly, they can
be modeled into efficient and skilled personalities. They should not point out
the inability in the child. If physically challenged adolescents express his/her
anxiety about their inability, the parents must try to encourage the child and
instill confidence in them and reduce submissive behaviour.
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