Investigation of self construals in terms of coping styles and life satisfaction

It is thought that people who has been living in the same culture, may have different self construals so that they can use different coping strategies and these strategies may have an impact on life satisfaction. The aim of this study was to examine the self construals in terms of coping styles and life satisfaction.At the study, there were 394 participants: 147 male and 247 female students at various faculties at Gazi University and Ankara University. Data were taken from Self Construal Scale, Coping Strategies Scale Brief Form and Life Satisfaction Scale.Self Construals were analized as Autonomous-Separete Self, Autonomous-Related Self, Heteronomous-Separete Self, Heteronomous-Related Self. As regards of study findings, the Autonomous-Related Self was the most common one among participants. Significant differences were found on self construals according to gender, residential area and educating department. Seeking Instrumental Social Support, Self Restraint, Positive Reinterpretation and Planning as coping strategy have differed significiantly in terms of self construals. Life Satisfaction, the other variable of study, has differed significiantly among self construals. The Autonomous-Related Self has more life satisfaction than Heteronomous-Separate Self. Findings which were studied the correlations coping strategies with life satisfaction according to self construals, Autonomous-Related Self indicated negative significiant correlation between using of humor and life satisfaction; and positive significiant correlation between Plannig and life satisfaction. There were positive significiant correlation between turning to Religion, Seeking Emotional Social Support and Plannig with life satisfaction of Heteronomous-Related ones. Also negative significiant correlation were found between Seeking İnstrumental Social Support, Alcohol-Drug Disengagement and Behavioral Disengagement with life satisfaction; positive significiant correlation turning Religion with life satisfaction.The reliabilty of Self Construal Scale and Life Satisfaction Scale were incorporated to scale knowledge.Key Words: Self construal, coping strategies, life satisfaction.