Abstract

The study investigated ethnic group, age and gender differences in social adjustment of teenagers in Nigeria. A
total of 1,500 male and female Secondary School students from three minority ethnic groups, the Tiv, the Ogoni
and the Yala, were used for the study. The participants were 750 Junior Secondary three (JS III, 375 males and 375
females, 13-15 years) with a mean age of 14 years, and 750 Senior, Secondary three (SS.III, 375 males and 375
females; 16-18 years) with a mean age of 17 years. The Social Adjustment Scale developed and validated by the
researcher was used to test the social adjustment of students. Results showed, that there was significant ethnic
group difference (F2, 1488) = 8.86 P< 001, and age difference (F1, 1488) = 7.41 P < .04 in the social adjustment of
teenagers. The interaction effect, of ethnicity x age was significant (F2, 1488)= 3.9 P < .04, age x gender
interaction was significant (F1,1488) = 5.03 p<.04.Ethnicity x age x gender interaction also significant (F2,
1488)=4.03p<.04 Scheffe test of comparison showed that Ogoni teenagers scored highest in the social adjustment
scale.

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