Degree
BS (Social Sciences & Liberal Arts)
Faculty / School
School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS)
Department
Department of Social Sciences & Liberal Arts
Date of Award
Fall 2026
Date of Submission
2026-07-23
Advisor
Dr. Tehzeeb Sakina Amir, Assistant Professor - SSLA,SESS
Project Type
SSLA Culminating Experience
Access Type
Restricted Access
Keywords
emotional self-concept clarity, emotional awareness, emotional clarity, psychological distress, emerging adulthood
Abstract
The study examined the relationships among emotional self-concept clarity, emotional awareness, and psychological distress among emerging adults. While emotional functioning has traditionally been understood in terms of emotion regulation and management, comparatively less attention has been devoted to how clearly individuals understand and make sense of their emotional experiences. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from 154 emerging adults aged 18–30 years through an online questionnaire. Emotional self-concept clarity was measured using the Self-Concept Clarity Scale (SCCS), emotional awareness and clarity were assessed using selected items from the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and psychological distress was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2). Correlation, regression, and independent-samples t-test analyses were conducted. The findings revealed significant positive relationships among all three study variables. Emotional self-concept clarity was significantly associated with both emotional awareness and clarity and psychological distress. Furthermore, emotional self-concept clarity emerged as a significant predictor of psychological distress, while both emotional self-concept clarity and psychological distress significantly predicted emotional awareness and clarity. Female participants reported significantly higher levels of emotional self-concept clarity than male participants, although no gender differences were observed for the remaining variables. The findings suggest that emotional functioning may involve not only the regulation of emotions but also the ability to understand and make sense of emotional experiences, highlighting emotional self-understanding as an important aspect of psychological functioning during emerging adulthood.
Pages
82
Recommended Citation
Talib, A. (2026). Making Sense of Emotions: Emotional Self-Concept Clarity, Emotional Awareness, and Psychological Distress in Emerging Adults (Unpublished undergraduate project). Institute of Business Administration, Pakistan. Retrieved from https://ir.iba.edu.pk/sslace/422
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