The mediator role of forgiveness between young adults' levels of cognitive flexibility and ruminative thinking styles

The aim of this research is to examine the mediating role of forgiveness in the relationship between cognitive flexibility and ruminative thinking in young adults. Another aim is to determine whether cognitive flexibility, ruminative thinking and forgiveness levels differ significantly in terms of some demographic variables. A total of 378 adult individuals between the ages of 20-45 participated in the study. The research group consisted of 302 (79.9%) female and 76 (20.1%) male participants. To collect data for statistical analysis of the research; demographic information form, Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CIS), Ruminative Thinking Style Scale (RDS), and Forgiveness Scale (AS) were used. Cronbach Alpha reliability analysis was performed for the general and sub-dimensions of the scales used. Relationships between measurement scores that were in accordance with the normal distribution were evaluated with the Pearson correlation test. Independent samples t-test and Anova test were used for the analysis of measurement scores conforming to the normal distribution. Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for measurement scores not suitable for normal distribution. The analyzes were carried out using the IBM SPSS package program. Process Macro software was added to the IBM SPSS program for agent role effects and the mediation test findings were obtained with Process Macro. According to the findings of the study, it was determined that the total scores of the forgiveness scale had a partial mediation effect in the relationship between the total scores of the ruminative thinking style scale and the total scores of the cognitive flexibility scale. In addition, it was determined that the self-forgiveness sub-dimension scores had a full mediator function between the ruminative thinking style scale total scores and the cognitive flexibility scale total scores. According to the results of the correlation analysis, it was found that there was a negative relationship between the cognitive flexibility control sub-dimension and rumination, a positive relationship between the control sub-dimension and self-forgiveness, and a negative relationship between the level of ruminative thinking and both self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others. In difference analysis, according to gender, age level and working status variable of cognitive flexibility control sub-dimension; According to gender and age level variable of ruminative thinking style; It has been determined that self-forgiveness, which is a sub-dimension of forgiveness, differs significantly according to the gender variable.