Abstract
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic represented a major societal disruption that altered educational environments and social experiences, particularly for Indian young adults navigating critical educational transitions. The present study examines cohort-based differences in emotional maturity and value orientation among Indian young adults who completed their schooling before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 300 participants from Kanpur city, India, were recruited and divided into two groups: Group A (students who completed their 10th and 12th examinations before COVID-19; n = 150, age 23–28 years) and Group B (students who completed their 10th and 12th examinations during COVID-19; n = 150, age 17–22 years). Participants were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Standardized measures were employed to assess emotional maturity and value orientation, and data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods to examine group differences. The findings indicated that the pre-pandemic cohort demonstrated higher levels of emotional maturity across multiple dimensions, whereas the pandemic cohort showed comparatively lower emotional maturity and a greater emphasis on security and health-related values. These differences are interpreted as associative and context-dependent, reflecting the combined influence of developmental stage and the socio-educational conditions experienced during the pandemic period, rather than as direct causal effects of COVID-19. The study contributes to understanding the psychosocial correlates of large-scale societal disruptions and offers implications for designing targeted educational, counseling, and value-based interventions to support emotional and value development among Indian young adults in the post-pandemic context.