Step by Step Into Adulthood: Predictors of Psychological Maturity in Adolescents

Psychological maturity represents the evolution of meaning-making systems from impulsive to self-authoring minds. In the Turkish cultural context, understanding how internal regulatory mechanisms and paternal influences foster this developmental transition is crucial for adolescent mental health.

This correlational study included 271 high school students in Istanbul, Türkiye. Data were collected using the Psychological Maturity Scale, Adolescent-Parent Conflict Scale, Emotion Regulation Scale, and Positive Father Scale. Multiple linear regression was employed to analyze relationships.

The regression model was statistically significant (F(3, 267) = 22.33, p < 0.001), explaining 20.1% of the variance in psychological maturity. Internal functional emotion regulation emerged as the strongest predictor (β = 0.326, p < 0.001), followed by adolescent-parent conflict (β = -0.197, p = 0.001) and positive father (β = 0.131, p = 0.020).

Psychological maturity is an interactive process where internal regulation serves as the important developmental architecture. While paternal support and internal regulation function as independent pathways to maturity, positive fathering provides a vital secure base that buffers the negative impact of conflict. Clinical interventions should prioritize both paternal engagement and adolescent regulatory skills to facilitate the transition to adult-level maturity.