Effect of Gender on Emotional Competence, Social Competence and Mental Health among Male and Female Youths

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of gender on emotional, social, and mental health competence among youths. Sample of 100 college-going youths, comprising 50 males and 50 females aged 18 to 24 years, from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Emotional competence was measured using the Emotional Competence Scale, social competence through the Social Competence Scale, and mental health with the Mental Health Scale. Although the source study employed a 2 × 2 factorial design with deprivation status and gender, the present article was limited to the gender variable. Descriptive statistics and independent-samples t tests were used to analyse the data. The results revealed that male youths scored significantly higher than female youths on emotional competence, social competence, and mental health. The obtained differences were statistically significant and reflected large effect sizes across all three variables. These findings suggest that gender is associated with meaningful differences in emotional functioning, interpersonal competence, and psychological well-being among youths.