NEUROTICISM: GENDER DIFFERENCES AMONG SCHOOL-GOING ADOLESCENTS

The present study aims to examine gender differences in neuroticism among school-going adolescents. Neuroticism is characterized by emotional instability, anxiety, fearfulness, irritability, and low tolerance to stress. A descriptive comparative research design was adopted. The sample consisted of 50 adolescents (25 boys and 25 girls) aged 14–16 years selected through purposive sampling from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Cantt, Kanpur. Neurotic tendencies were assessed using the Neurosis Measurement Scale developed by Dayal and Bisht, comprising 70 items measuring six dimensions: Anxiety Reaction, Dissociative Reaction, Conversion Reaction, Phobic Reaction, Obsessive–Compulsive Reaction, and Depressive Reaction. Mean, Standard Deviation, and t-test were employed for statistical analysis. The findings revealed that there was no statistically significant gender difference in overall neuroticism. However, girls obtained higher mean scores in Anxiety, Dissociative, Conversion, and Phobic reactions, whereas boys scored higher in Obsessive–Compulsive and Depressive reactions. Despite these dimensional differences, overall neuroticism levels were comparable between boys and girls. The study concludes that neurotic tendencies are similarly present among adolescent boys and girls, indicating the need for gender-neutral psychological intervention programs in schools.