The relationship between cognitive distortions and perceived stress level in university students

In this study, the aim is to investigate the relationship between cognitive distortions and perceived stress levels among university students in terms of various variables such as gender and class level. The sample of the current study consists of a total of 217 university students, including 110 females and 107 males, aged between 18-25. In the study, a Demographic Information Form, the Types of Thoughts Scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale were used as data collection instruments. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 27. Pearson Correlation Analysis was employed to examine the level and direction of correlation between the scales. Independent Samples t-test and ANOVA were used to compare the scales with respect to gender and class levels. Multiple Linear Regression analysis was applied to analyze the predictability of the independent variables. According to the analysis results conducted through SPSS, significant relationships were found between all cognitive distortions and the total perceived stress level. When examining the relationship between the social sub-dimension of cognitive distortions and gender, it was observed that gender significantly predicted it. In the social sub-dimension, females scored significantly higher than males in the use of mind-reading and "should" - "must" expressions. When examining the relationship between the personal achievement sub-dimension of cognitive distortions and gender, a significant relationship was found. Similar to the social relationships sub-dimension, while mind-reading was significantly higher in females compared to males, scores obtained without minimizing the positive were significantly higher in males compared to females. In the analysis regarding the relationship between perceived stress level and gender, it was observed that females obtained significantly higher scores in the total perceived stress level compared to male participants. Finally, it was found that the perceived total stress level did not differ significantly according to class level. The findings obtained from the conducted analyses are discussed in light of the literature.