Adolescent Well Being: Positive Vs Autocratic School Culture

Abstract

Reinforcing positive characteristics and minimizing individual weaknesses is what practice of Positive Psychology should be aimed at. In this study, an investigator has analyzed the effect of Indian Values Based-Positive-Encouraging Vs Highly Disciplined-Autocratic School Culture on Adolescent Psychopathology. Randomly selected 220 adolescent (Boys & Girls) students (Mean Age = 14.2 years) from two Day-Boarding Schools of Nagpur, Maharashtra were assigned to Between Group Design. They were administered Adolescent Psychopathology Scale (short form) by Dr. William Rynolds which consist of 12 clinical scales focused on DSM-IV symptomatology. Data collected was analyzed to find out the major areas of psychopathology in adolescents belonging to different type of school cultures. It has been found that adolescent students from Highly Disciplined-Autocratic School Culture are significantly higher on Conduct Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Eating Disorder, Depression, Interpersonal Problems and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. These results indicate towards the need of cultivating positive culture at Institutional level and inculcating Human Strengths and Virtues in upcoming generation for better prospects. Investigator believes that this study suggests insightful ways of developing and practicing competent avenues to fulfill the basic endeavor of Education.