Maladjustment is a term used in psychology to refer the "inability to react successfully and satisfactorily to the demand of one's environment".[1] The term maladjustment can be refer to a wide range of social, biological and psychological conditions.[2]
Maladjustment can be both intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic maladjustment is the disparities between the needs, motivations and evaluations of an individual, with the actual reward gain through experiences. Extrinsic maladjustment on the other hand, is referred to when an individual's behavior does not meet the cultural or social expectation of society.[3]
The causes of maladjustment can be attributed to a wide variety of factors, including: family environment, personal factors, and school-related factors.[4] Maladjustment affects an individual's development and the ability to maintain a positive interpersonal relationship with others. Often maladjustment emerges during early stages of childhood, when a child is in the process of learning methods to solve problem that occurs in interpersonal relationship in their social network.[5] A lack of intervention for individuals who are maladjusted can cause negative effects later on in life.[4][6][page needed]