Social Phobia among University Undergraduates in Delta State: Is Emotional Maturity a Determining Factor?

This study examines the study examined the prevalence of social phobia among university undergraduates in Delta State and investigated whether emotional maturity plays a determining role. Three research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study. A correlational research design was adopted, with a sample of 600 undergraduates selected through a multistage sampling method from a population of 60,970. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Emotional Maturity and Social Phobia Questionnaire which was self-constructed by the researcher. The questionnaire was validated by experts in guidance and counselling, and tested for reliability using a pilot study analysed through the Cronbach Alpha coefficient. Principal Component Analysis and Rotated Factor loading confirmed the instrument's validity. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics (Mean and standard deviation), Pearson’s correlation coefficient to determine relationships, while simple and multiple regression analyses were employed to test the hypothesis at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that: Social phobia is moderately prevalent among university undergraduates in Delta State; emotional maturity among university undergraduate students in Delta State is generally low; and there is no significant relationship between emotional maturity and social phobia among university undergraduate students in Delta State.