The dissertation is devoted to the study of emotional maturity as a factor of psychological well-being in early adulthood. The research provides a theoretical analysis and an empirical study of the characteristics of personal emotional maturity as a factor of psychological well-being during the stage of early adulthood. The organizational and methodological foundations of the empirical study are defined; the results of the ascertaining and formative experiments are described; and the specific impact of emotional maturity on the psychological well-being of individuals in early adulthood is identified. The key concepts of the study are analyzed: “emotional maturity”, “psychological well-being”, “emotional intelligence”, “emotional flexibility”, “emotional competence”, and others. The definition of emotional maturity as an integrative quality of personality characterizing the development level of the emotional sphere and the adequacy of emotional reactions within specific sociocultural conditions, formulated by the domestic researcher I. Pavlova, is taken as a basis. The concept of psychological well-being is defined as an integral, dynamic state that combines a subjective sense of life satisfaction (hedonic aspect) and the successful realization of eudaimonic components (autonomy, personal growth, and purpose in life), which are critical for the process of personality formation and integration during early adulthood. The features of psychological well-being in early adulthood, determined by the specifics of this ontogenetic stage, are theoretically analyzed. It is established that the 7 core of psychological well-being in early adulthood consists of: the capacity for constructive personal adaptation (social and mental) under conditions of intensive life changes; emotional maturity; the absence of destructive psychological defenses; and a formed subjective sense of happiness that integrates positive self-esteem and satisfaction with social contacts. Scientific approaches to the phenomenon of emotional maturity are examined. Within the psychodynamic approach (E. Erikson, W. Menninger), emotional maturity correlates with the level of ego-integration and the effectiveness of overcoming normative age crises. Proponents of the humanistic approach (C. Rogers, A. Maslow) equate maturity with the strive for self-actualization and the authenticity of the emotional sphere. The cognitive-behavioral approach (P. Salovey, J. Mayer) links this phenomenon to the development of emotional intelligence, allowing for the rational interpretation of affective states. The socio-psychological approach (P. Fraisse) emphasizes the subject's capacity for self-regulation according to current sociocultural standards. The theoretical analysis allowed for the identification of the psychological structure of emotional maturity in early adulthood, which encompasses the following components: cognitive-reflective, emotional-evaluative, and behavioral-regulatory. The criteria for the cognitive-reflective component are emotional reflection, awareness, and understanding of one's own emotions. These criteria are manifested through indicators such as: capacity for self-analysis of states, accuracy of feeling identification, understanding the causes of experiences, and the presence of an “emotional vocabulary”. The criteria for the emotional-evaluative component include the axiological assessment of emotions and a value-based attitude toward one's own emotions. These are reflected in indicators such as readiness to accept constructive feelings and the conscious transformation of destructive states. 8 The criteria for the behavioral-regulatory component are emotional balance, emotional stability, and flexibility. These are revealed through the ability to manage the intensity and duration of states, volitional control of impulses, and resilience. Using a complex of psychodiagnostic methods, the features of emotional maturity and psychological well-being in early adulthood were empirically investigated. A prevalence of the average level of emotional maturity was established among the majority of the experimental sample. It was found that the general level of emotional maturity is a decisive predictor of psychological well-being. It is proven that the cognitive-reflective component (the ability to verbalize and an expanded “emotional vocabulary”) acts as an intellectual foundation for understanding the causes of psychological discomfort. The emotional-evaluative component forms an internal “ethical filter” that allows for the differentiation of emotions and directly affects self-acceptance, while the behavioral-regulatory component (resilience and empathy) ensures the necessary flexibility for adaptation to the changing demands of society.
