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Adjustment

Adjustment

Adjustment in psychology generally refers to the process of managing discrepancies in affective, cognitive, motivational, or/and volitional experiences in a given action situation, as one attempts to move toward a state of equilibrium or a fit in regard to a certain standard, such as an increased level of performance or health, as, e.g., it is expressed by Alivia, Guadagni, and Roberti di Sarsina (2011, p. 382) when they explain that “health is not a steady state, effortlessly maintained once it has been achieved, but an active process of continuous adjustment, a subtle equilibrium between our physiological, psychological and spiritual integrity and the outer or inner influences that can strengthen or undermine this. Here, too, it becomes clear that adjustments are enacted in case of discrepancies or deviations from where one is to where one should be, and thus are related to corrections and rectifications.” The superordinate term seems to be adaptation, as it is a broader (scope) concept originated from and predominantly used in the biological sciences, whereas ‘adjustment’ is more neutral (method or methodological practice). However, adjustment is more appropriate for the social sciences and human science field when the term is indicating a human action, purposive and organized behavior to meet a specific goal. With this in mind, social and emotional or mental adjustment refers to (for an example, see Engelberg & Sjo¨berg, 2004), e.g., mental health, well-being or performance, and mental fitness.
The concept of adjustment is closely connected to terms indicating oppositeness or discrepancies, like standard/deviation, balance/imbalance, or equilibrium/ disparity. With respect to methodology, adjustment is realized by calibration of measuring instruments and procedures of alignment. In sport psychology, a social aspect of adjustment is addressed when an athlete is prepared, e.g., in his tactical approach, for the behavior or behavioral strategies of his opponent in competition, or when interfacing with coaches and peers within a training environment in order more to closely integrate within the environment or in regard to career termination from sport and post-retirement adjustment (see e.g., Lavallee, Grove, & Gordon, 1997). Although adjustment might also happen at an inter-individual, team, or organizational level, whereby a team or an organization adjusts to the needs and uniqueness of its members (see acculturation) or stakeholders.
When talking about adjustment disorder(s), emphasis is given to a lack or inability in regard to the (self-) management of adjustment, potentially impeding the person’s holistic development.
References
Alivia, M., Guadagni, P., & Roberti di Sarsina, P. (2011). Towards salutogenesis in the development of personalised and preventive healthcare. EPMA Journal, 2, 381 384.
Engelberg, E., & Sjo¨berg, L. (2004). Emotional intelligence, affect intensity, and social adjustment. Personality and Individual Differences, 37, 533 542.
Lavallee, D., Grove, J. R., & Gordon, S. (1997). The causes of career termination from sport and their relationship to postretirement adjustment among elite-amateur athletes in Australia. Australian Psychologist, 32, 131 135.
***Contributed by Dieter Hackfort & Robert J. Schinke for Hackfort, D., Schinke, R. J., & Strauss, B. (Eds.). (2019). Dictionary of sport psychology: sport, exercise, and performing arts. Academic Press.
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