The Relationship between Altruism and Life Satisfaction: Mediator Role of Cognitive Flexibility

Year 2020, Volume: 49 Issue: 1, 142 - 162, 28.04.2020

İsmail Yelpaze , Levent Yakar

Abstract

Life satisfaction is one of the most basic goals of human beings. Covering all aspects of life satisfaction, the main dynamic and source of life motivation will be a key to human happiness. There are several factors affecting life satisfaction. This particular study probed how altruistic behaviors affect life satisfaction and how cognitive flexibility mediates the relationship between these two variables. A total of 559 undergraduate students aged between 18 and 36 (M = 21) studying at six different faculties participated in the study. The research data were collected through the scales of life satisfaction, cognitive flexibility and altruism measurement. The findings indicated that altruism is an important predictor of cognitive flexibility and life satisfaction and that cognitive flexibility is an important predictor of life satisfaction. It was also found that cognitive flexibility mediates the influence of altruism on young adult’s life satisfaction. The study concludes that students should be encouraged to exhibit altruistic behaviors to achieve life satisfaction. More importantly, it is believed that improving students’ flexible thinking skills as well as altruistic behaviors will increase their life satisfaction.

Keywords

life satisfaction, altruism, cognitive flexibility, mediator analysis

Özgecilik ve Yaşam Doyumu Arasındaki İlişki: Bilişsel Esnekliğin Aracı Rolü

Abstract

Yaşam doyumu, insanın en temel amaçlarından biridir. Yaşam motivasyonunun temel kaynağı ve dinamiği olan yaşam doyumunun tüm yönlerinin ortaya çıkarılması insan mutluluğunun önemli bir kaynağı olacaktır. Yaşam doyumunu etkileyen birçok faktör bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışmada özgeci davranışların yaşam doyumunu nasıl etkilediğini ve bilişsel esnekliğin bu iki değişken arasındaki aracı rolü araştırılmaktadır. Çalışmaya yaşları 18 ve 36 (Ort = 21) arasında değişen altı farklı fakültedeki559 üniversite öğrencisi dâhil edilmiştir. Veri toplamada yaşam doyumu, bilişsel esneklik ve özgecilik ölçekleri kullanılmıştır. Bulgulara göre özgeciliğin bilişsel esneklik ve yaşam doyumunun önemli bir yordayıcısı olduğu bulunmuştur. Ayrıca bilişsel esnekliğin yaşam doyumunun önemli bir yordayıcısı olduğu bulunmuştur. Son olarak bilişsel esnekliğin, özgeciliğin genç yetişkinin yaşam doyumu üzerindeki etkisine aracılık ettiği bulunmuştur. Sonuç olarak öğrenciler yaşam doyumuna ulaşabilmeleri için özgecil davranış sergilemeye teşvik edilmelidirler. Daha da önemlisi, özgecil davranışlarla birlikte öğrencilere esnek düşünme yeteneği kazandırmak yaşam doyumlarını artıracaktır.

Keywords

Yaşam doyumu, Özgecilik, Bilişsel esneklik, Aracılık analizi

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