The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation and Self-Perception in the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Social Anxiety

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating roles of self-perception and emotion regulation in the relationship between social anxiety, which can cause significant functional losses in social life, and conscious awareness. METHODS: For this purpose, "Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Social Comparison Scale and Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form" were used. The data for the research was obtained through online surveys and a total of 202 people, 153 women and 49 men, participated in the research. RESULTS: In order to test the hypotheses, first correlation analysis, which indicates the relationship of the variables with each other, and then regression analysis and mediation analysis were applied. The results showed that as mindfulness scores increased, emotion regulation and self-perception scores increased; but social anxiety scores decreased. In addition, the role of self-perception and emotion regulation as mediating variables in the relationship between mindfulness and social anxiety was determined. Upon the mediator variables being added to the model, the fact that mindfulness lost its significance on social anxiety is an important finding in terms of showing its total mediation effect. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: According to this result, it was concluded that mindfulness reduces social anxiety by facilitating emotional regulation and helping to improve self-perception. Since social anxiety is a disorder related to a person's perception of herself/himself and her/his ability to effectively regulate emotions, the results were found to be quite remarkable. Finally, the hypotheses put forward in the research were discussed taking into account the existing literature.

Keywords

• Social Anxiety
• Mindfulness
• Emotion Regulation
• Self-perception

Bilinçli Farkındalık ve Sosyal Kaygı Arasındaki İlişkide Duygu Düzenleme ve Kendilik Algısının Aracı Rolü

Abstract

GİRİŞ ve AMAÇ: Bu araştırmanın amacı, sosyal hayatta önemli işlev kayıplarına neden olabilen sosyal kaygının bilinçli farkındalık ile ilişkisinde kendilik algısı ve duygu düzenlemenin aracı rollerini araştırmaktır. YÖNTEM ve GEREÇLER: Bu amaç doğrultusunda “Liebowitz Sosyal Kaygı Ölçeği, Bilinçli Farkındalık Ölçeği, Sosyal Karşılaştırma Ölçeği ve Duygu Düzenleme Ölçeği-Kısa Formu” kullanılmıştır. Araştırmaya ait veriler çevrimiçi anketler aracılığıyla elde edilmiş olup araştırmaya 153 kadın ve 49 erkek olmak üzere toplam 202 kişi katılmıştır. BULGULAR: Hipotezleri sınamak amacıyla öncelikle değişkenlerin birbiriyle olan ilişkisini belirten korelasyon analizi, daha sonra regresyon analizleri ve aracılık analizi uygulanmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlar bilinçli farkındalık puanları arttıkça duygu düzenleme ve kendilik algısı puanlarının da arttığı; sosyal kaygı puanlarının ise azaldığını ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca bilinçli farkındalık ve sosyal kaygı arasındaki ilişkide kendilik algısı ve duygu düzenlemenin aracı değişken rolü saptanmıştır. Aracı değişkenler modele eklendiğinde bilinçli farkındalığın sosyal kaygı üzerindeki anlamlılığını kaybetmiş olması tam aracılık etkisini göstermesi açısından önemli bir bulgudur. TARTIŞMA ve SONUÇ: Bu sonuca göre, bilinçli farkındalığın duygu düzenlemeyi kolaylaştırması ve kendilik algısının olumlu yönde olmasına hizmet etmesi yoluyla sosyal kaygıyı azalttığı yorumuna ulaşılmıştır. Sosyal kaygı kişinin kendine dair algısı ve etkili şekilde duygu düzenleyebilmesi ile ilişkili bir bozukluk olduğundan sonuçlar oldukça dikkate değer bulunmuştur. Son olarak araştırmada öne sürülen hipotezler mevcut literatür dikkate alınarak tartışılmıştır.

Keywords

• Bilinçli Farkındalık
• Sosyal Kaygı
• Duygu Düzenleme
• Kendilik algısı

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