The mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between social anxiety and psychological control

ABSTRACT The primary aim of this study is to examine the mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between social anxiety and perceived parental psychological control. The sample of the study consists of 265 university students aged between 18 and 25 (M = 20.6, SD = 1.9), including 168 women (63.4%) and 97 men (36.6%). In line with the objectives of the study, participants completed the Demographic Information Form, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), the Psychological Control Scale (PCS), the Self-Compassion Scale – Short Form (SCS-SF), and the Social Self-Compassion Scale (SSCS). The SSCS was translated into Turkish and its psychometric properties were examined. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0. The analyses revealed that the SSCS is a valid and reliable measurement tool. Due to the distinct differences observed between women and men, the mediation model was tested separately for each gender. For women, social self-compassion fully mediated the relationship between perceived maternal psychological control and social anxiety. For men, social self-compassion was found to partially mediate this relationship. In addition to gender differences, the study also highlighted the distinct effects of the subdimensions of perceived parental psychological control within the research model. Accordingly, the social anxiety experiences of women and men were found to be associated with different subdimensions of perceived psychological control from their parents. Furthermore, the number of siblings was found to be a significant factor in the mediation model for men. The results are discussed in terms of the role of parental psychological control and self-compassion in social anxiety, as well as their implications for clinical practice. Keywords: Social Anxiety, Psychological Control, Self-Compassion, Social Self-Compassion, Emerging Adulthood