The Effects of the Need for Social Approval on the Relationship between Perfectionism, Academic Self-Handicapping, and Self-Efficacy

Year 2023, Volume: 40 Issue: 2, 659 - 674, 27.12.2023

Merve Ebrar Karakaya Gülten Ünal

https://doi.org/10.32600/huefd.1143283

Abstract

Examining the need for social approval is critical to understand the effects of the social environment on individuals’ beliefs about themselves and perceptions of their abilities. This study aims to provide deep insight into the role and the effect of the need for social approval on the relationship between self-efficacy and perfectionism. Likewise, it aims to examine the role and the effect of the need for social approval on the relationship between self-efficacy and academic self-handicapping. In this study, academic self-handicapping, perfectionism, and the need for social approval, which are individually linked to self-efficacy, are examined in a single comprehensive framework. Participants were 121 university students studying at different universities who completed an online survey involving measures of academic self-handicapping, perfectionism, general self-efficacy, and reactions to social situations. They were manipulated by either receiving positive or negative feedback related to the need for social approval or receiving no feedback. The obtained data were tested with Pearson correlation analysis, one-way ANOVA, and moderation analysis. The findings showed that there was no significant difference between the self-efficacy scores of the groups. Self-efficacy was found to be significantly and negatively correlated with academic self-handicapping and perfectionism. The moderation analysis revealed that the relationship between academic self-handicapping and self-efficacy was only significant when participants received positive feedback or did not receive any feedback related to social approval. Contrary to expectations, the need for social approval was not found to have a moderating role in the relationship between perfectionism and self-efficacy. The current study contributes to the literature in terms of investigating the need for social approval in an experimental setting and showing that it plays a moderator role in the relationship between academic self-handicapping and self-efficacy.

Keywords

Self-efficacy, the need for social approval, self-handicapping, academic self-handicapping, perfectionism

Sosyal Onay İhtiyacının Mükemmeliyetçilik, Akademik Kendini Engelleme ve Öz-Yeterlik Arasındaki İlişkiye Etkileri

Abstract

Sosyal onay ihtiyacını incelemek, sosyal çevrenin bireylerin kendileri hakkındaki inançları ve genel yetkinlikleri ve yeteneklerine ilişkin algıları üzerindeki etkilerini anlamak için kritik öneme sahiptir. Bu çalışma sosyal onay ihtiyacının öz-yeterlik ve mükemmeliyetçilik arasındaki ilişkideki rolü ve etkisine dair bir içgörü sağlamayı amaçlamaktadır. Aynı şekilde, sosyal onay ihtiyacının öz-yeterlik ve akademik kendini engelleme arasındaki ilişkideki rolünü ve etkisini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu çalışmada bireysel olarak öz-yeterlik ile bağlantılı olan akademik kendini engelleme, mükemmeliyetçilik ve sosyal onay ihtiyacı tek bir kapsamlı çerçevede incelenmiştir. Katılımcılar, akademik kendini engelleme, mükemmeliyetçilik, genel öz-yeterlik ve sosyal durumlara verilen tepkileri ölçen çevrimiçi bir anketi dolduran farklı üniversitelerde okuyan 121 üniversite öğrencisidir. Katılımcılara, sosyal onay ihtiyacı ile ilgili olumlu ya da olumsuz geri bildirim verilmiş veya herhangi bir geri bildirim verilmemiştir. Elde edilen veriler, Pearson korelasyon analizi, tek yönlü ANOVA ve düzenleyici değişken analizi ile test edilmiştir. Sonuçlar, üç grup arasında öz-yeterlik düzeyleri açısından anlamlı bir fark olmadığını göstermiştir. Öz-yeterliğin hem mükemmeliyetçilik hem de akademik kendini engelleme ile anlamlı derecede olumsuz yönde ilişkili olduğu bulunmuştur. Düzenleyici değişken analizi, sosyal onay ihtiyacının olumlu geri bildirim ve kontrol koşullarının akademik kendini engelleme ile öz-yeterlik arasındaki negatif ilişkide düzenleyici rolü olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Ancak beklenenin aksine, sosyal onay ihtiyacının mükemmeliyetçilik ile öz-yeterlik arasındaki ilişkide düzenleyici bir rolü bulunamamıştır. Mevcut çalışma, sosyal onay ihtiyacının deneysel bir düzende ele alınması ve akademik kendini engelleme ile öz yeterlik arasındaki ilişkide düzenleyici bir rol oynadığını göstermesi açısından literatüre katkı sağlamaktadır.

Keywords

Öz-yeterlik, sosyal onay ihtiyacı, kendini engelleme, akademik kendini engelleme, mükemmeliyetçilik

References

• Akar, H., Dogan, Y. B., & Üstüner, M. (2018). The relationships between positive and negative perfectionisms, self-handicapping, self-efficacy and academic achievement. European Journal of Contemporary Education, 7(1), 7-20.
• Alexitch, L. R. (2005). Applying social psychology to education. In F. W. Schneider, J. A. Gruman, & L. M. Coutts (Eds.), Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems (pp.205-228). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
• Anlı, G., Taş, İ., Güneş, Z., Yazgı, Z., & Sevinç, H. (2018). Akademik kendini engelleme ölçeği’ni Türkçeye uyarlama çalışması. OPUS International Journal of Society Researches, 8(15), 1198-1217. https://doi.org/10.26466/opus.442691
• Antony, M. M., & Swinson, R. P. (2009). When perfect isn’t good enough: strategies for coping with perfectionism. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
• Artino, A. R. Jr. (2012). Academic self-efficacy: From educational theory to instructional practice. Perspectives on Medical Education, 1(2), 76-85.
• Atkinson, R. L., Atkinson, R. C., Smith, E. E., Bem, D. J., & Hoeksema, S. N. (2002). Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology (14th ed). Cengage Learning.
• Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
• Barutçu-Yıldırım, F., & Demir, A. (2020). Self-handicapping among university students: The role of procrastination, test anxiety, self-esteem, and self-compassion. Psychological Reports, 123(3), 825–843. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294118825099
• Baytemir, K. (2019). Perfectionism, irrational beliefs, need for social approval and gender as predictors of parent exam anxiety. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education, 8(1), 161-178.
• Brown, C. M., & Kimble, C. E. (2009). Personal, interpersonal, and situational influences on behavioral self-handicapping. The Journal of Social Psychology, 149(6), 609–626. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224540903344971
• Chiba, T., Iketani, S., Han, K., & Ono, A. (2009). A comprehensive model of anxiety in gift giving. International Review of Business Research Papers, 5(4), 322-334.
• Crowne, D. P., & Marlowe, D. (1964). The approval motive. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
• Elliot, A. J., & Church, M. A. (2003). A motivational analysis of defensive pessimism and self-handicapping. Journal of Personality, 71(3), 369–396. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.7103005
• Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2006). Positive versus negative perfectionism in psychopathology: A comment on Slade and Owens’s dual process model. Behavior Modification, 30(4), 472-495. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445506288026
• Frost, R. O., Marten, P. A., Lahart, C., & Rosenblate, R. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14, 449-468. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01172967
• Göller, L. (2010). Ergenlerin akılcı olmayan inançları ile depresyon-umutsuzluk düzeyleri ve algıladıkları akademik başarılar arasındaki ilişkiler (Doctoral dissertation, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey). Retrieved from https://genclikbirikimi.org/kunye-6005-ergenlerin-akilci-olmayan-inanclari-depresyon-umutsuzluk-duzeyleri-algiladiklari-akademik-basarilari-arasindaki-iliskiler-tez
• Greenlees, I., Jones, S., Holder, T., & Thelwell, R. (2006). The effects of self-handicapping on attributions and perceived judo competence. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(3), 273–280. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410500132033
• Hajek, A., & König, H. H. (2019). The role of optimism, self-esteem, and self-efficacy in moderating the relation between health comparisons and subjective well-being: Results of a nationally representative longitudinal study among older adults. British Journal of Health Psychology, 24(3), 547–570. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12367
• Hart, B. A., Gilner, F. H., Handal, P. J., & Gfeller, J. D. (1998). The relationship between perfectionism and self-efficacy. Personality and Individual Differences, 24(1), 109–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(97)00116-5
• Hayes, A. F. (2018). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach (methodology in the social sciences) (2nd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
• Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1991). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: Conceptualization, assessment, and association with psychopathology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(3), 456–470. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.60.3.456
• Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
• Javanmard, A., Hoshmandja, M., & Ahmadzade, L. (2018). Investigating the relationship between self-efficacy, cognitive and metacognitive strategies, and academic self-handicapping with academic achievement in male high school students in the tribes of Fars province. Journal of Life Science and Biomedicine, 3(1), 27-34.
• Johnson, T. P., Fendrich, M., & Mackesy-Amiti, M. E. (2012). An evaluation of the validity of the Crowne–Marlowe need for approval scale. Quality & Quantity, 46, 1883–1896. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-011-9563-5
• Kağan, M. (2011). Frost çok boyutlu mükemmelliyetçilik ölçeğinin Türkçe formunun psikometrik özellikleri. Anadolu Psikiyatri Dergisi, 12(3), 192–197.
• Kalaman, S., & Becerikli, R. (2020). The use of social networks and the need for social approval of people in the fields of law, medicine, and academia in turkey. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, 59, 219-235. https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2020-0049
• Karaşar, B., & Öğülmüş, S. (2016a). Üniversite öğrencilerinde sosyal onay ihtiyacının çeşitli değişkenler açısından incelenmesi . Uludağ Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 29(2), 469-495.
• Karaşar, B., & Öğülmüş, S. (2016b). Sosyal onay ihtiyacı ölçeği: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik analizi. Ege Eğitim Dergisi, 17(1), 84-104.
• Karaşar, B. (2019, October). Mükemmeliyetçilik ve karşılıklı bağımlılık arasındaki ilişkide sosyal onay ihtiyacının aracı rolü: bir yapısal eşitlik modeli çalışması. Paper presented at International Congress of Science Culture and Education, Alanya.
• Karaşar, B. (2021). Codependency: An evaluation in terms of depression, need for social approval and self-love/self-efficacy. Kastamonu Education Journal, 29(1), 117-126. https://doi.org/10.24106/kefdergi.738845
• Kolditz, T. A., & Arkin, R. M. (1982). An impression management interpretation of the self-handicapping strategy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43(3), 492–502. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.43.3.492
• Maatta, S., Stattin, H., & Nurmi, J. E. (2002). Achievement strategies at school: Types and correlates. Journal of Adolescence, 25(1), 31–46.
• MacDonald, G., Saltzman, J. L., & Leary, M. R. (2003). Social approval and trait self-esteem. Journal of Research in Personality, 37, 23-40. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-6566(02)00531-7
• Marlow, D., & Crowne, D. P. (1961). Social desirability and response to perceived situational demands. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 25(2), 109–115. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0041627
• Milam, L. A., Cohen, G. L., Mueller, C., & Salles, A. (2019). The relationship between self-efficacy and well-being among surgical residents. Journal of surgical education, 76(2), 321–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsurg.2018.07.028
• Passer, M. W., Kelley, H. H., & Michela, J. L. (1978). Multidimensional scaling of the causes for negative interpersonal behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36(9), 951–962. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.36.9.951
• Rice, K. G., Ashby, J. S., & Slaney, R. B. (1998). Self-esteem as a mediator between perfectionism and depression: A structural equations analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45(3), 304–314. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.45.3.304
• Richardson, M., Abraham, C., & Bond, R. (2012). Psychological correlates of university students’ academic performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138(2), 353–387. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026838
• Salvador, A., Crespo, C., & Barros, L. (2019). The benefits of family-centered care for parental self-efficacy and psychological well-being in parents of children with cancer. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28, 1926–1936. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01418-4
• Sherer, M., Maddux, J. E., Mercandante, B., Prentice-Dunn, S., Jacobs, B., & Rogers, R. W. (1982). The self-efficacy scale: Construction and validation. Psychological Reports, 51(2), 663–671. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.2.663
• Snyder, K. E., Malin, J. L., Dent, A. L., & Linnenbrink-Garcia, L. (2014). The message matters: The role of implicit beliefs about giftedness and failure experiences in academic self-handicapping. Journal of Educational Psychology, 106(1), 230–241. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034553
• Stewart, M. A., & George-Walker, L. D. (2014). Self-handicapping, perfectionism, locus of control and self-efficacy: A path model. Personality and Individual Differences, 66, 160-164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.03.038
• Strickland, B. R., & Crowne, D. P. (1962). Conformity under conditions of simulated group pressure as a function of the need for social approval. The Journal of Social Psychology, 58(1), 171–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1962.9712366
• Suddarth, B. H., & Slaney, R. B. (2001). An investigation of the dimensions of perfectionism in college students. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 34(3), 157–165.
• Thomas, C. R., & Gadbois, S. A. (2007). Academic self-handicapping: The role of self-clarity and students' learning strategies. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 77(1), 101–119. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709905X79644
• Tice, D. M., & Baumeister, R. F. (1990). Self-esteem, self-handicapping, and self-presentation: The strategy of inadequate practice. Journal of Personality, 58(2), 443–464. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1990.tb00237.x
• Tovel, H., & Carmel, S. (2016). Function self-efficacy scale-FSES: Development, evaluation, and contribution to well-being. Research on Aging, 38(6), 643–664. https://doi.org/10.1177/0164027515596583
• Turner, E. A., Chandler, M., & Heffer, R. W. (2009). The influence of parenting styles, achievement motivation, and self-efficacy on academic performance in college students. Journal of College Student Development, 50(3), 337-346.
• Twenge, J. M., & Im, C. (2007). Changes in the need for social approval, 1958-2001. Journal of Research in Personality, 41(1), 171–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2006.03.006
• Urdan, T., & Midgley, C. (2001). Academic self-handicapping: What we know, what more there is to learn. Educational Psychology Review, 13(2), 115–138. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009061303214
• Walster (Hatfield), E. (1965). The effect of self-esteem on romantic liking. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 1, 184–197.
• Yıldırım, F., & İlhan, İ. Ö. (2010). Genel özyeterlilik ölçeği Türkçe formunun geçerlilik ve güvenilirlik çalışması. Türk Psikiyatri Dergisi, 21(4), 301-308.
• Zabihollahi, K., Varzaneh, M. J. Y., & Lavasani, M. G. (2013). Academic self-efficacy and self-handicapping in high school students. Developmental Psychology: Journal of Iranian Psychologists, 9(34), 203–212.