Effect of self differentiation on relationship satisfaction: The mediating role of mindfulness and emotion regulation difficulties in romantic relationships

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of self-differentiation on romantic relationship satisfaction and to investigate the mediating roles of mindfulness and difficulties in emotion regulation in this relationship. Self- differentiation is defined as the capacity to remain emotionally distinct in relationships with others while being aware of one's own thoughts and feelings, and it is considered an important psychological variable in establishing and maintaining healthy relationships. Romantic relationship satisfaction refers to an individual's subjective evaluation of the overall level of contentment experienced in their romantic relationships, whereas mindfulness is the ability to focus attentively and nonjudgmentally on present experiences, and difficulties in emotion regulation refer to challenges in recognizing and managing emotional experiences. Data obtained from 386 adult participants were analyzed using the SPSS 27 program. To examine differences in group means, independent samples t-tests were applied for two-group variables, and one-way analysis of variance (One-Way ANOVA) was conducted for variables with three or more groups. For variables that did not meet the assumptions of parametric tests, the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis H test was used. The direction and strength of relationships between the scales were determined through Pearson correlation analysis, and mediation analyses were performed using the Hayes Process Macro extension. The adequacy of the sample size was assessed through a post-hoc power analysis conducted using the G*Power program. All analyses were carried out at the α = .05 significance level. The findings revealed that self-differentiation significantly predicted romantic relationship satisfaction, and that mindfulness and difficulties in emotion regulation each played a partial mediating role in this relationship. These results indicate that enhancing individuals' self-perception and emotional competence can increase satisfaction in romantic relationships, thereby highlighting the importance of supporting mindfulness and emotion regulation skills within psychological counseling practices. Keywords: Self-differentiation, Relationship satisfaction, Mindfulness, Emotion regulation