The mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation in the relationship between shame and guilt, and coping attitudes among university students

The aim of this study is to investigate the mediator role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between shame and guilt levels and coping attitudes of university students. The independent variable of the study is shame and guilt and the dependent variable of the study is coping attitudes. The study group consists of 621 students, of which 343 were female and 278 were male, studying at Akdeniz University Faculty of Literature, Education, Science, Theology, Architecture and Engineering. The ages of the participants ranged from 19 to 27 years old. Personal Information Form, Trait Shame and Guilt Scale, COPE Scale and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Scale were used as data collection tools in the study. According correlation analysis results, there was no significant relationship between shame, one of the sub-dimensions of shame and guilt, and self-help, one of the sub-dimensions of coping attitudes. It was found that shame had negative significant relationships with approach and adaptation, and a positive significant relationship with avoidance and self-punishment. In addition, the shame sub-dimension had a significant negative relationship with cognitive emotion regulation strategies and a significant positive relationship with maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies. There was no significant relationship between guilt, one of the sub-dimensions of shame and guilt, and self-help, but guilt had negative significant relationships with approach and adaptation, and positive significant relationships with avoidance and self-punishment. On the other hand, there is a negative significant relationship between guilt and adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies. There is also a positive and significant relationship between guilt and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies. According to the results of the regression analysis, the partial mediator role of adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies was found to be significant in the relationships of shame with approach and adjustment. In addition, the partial mediating role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies was found to be significant in the relationships of shame with avoidance and self-punishment. The partial mediating role of adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies was found to be significant in the relationships of guilt with approach and adjustment. In addition, the partial mediating role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies was found to be significant in the relationships of guilt with avoidance-avoidance and self-punishment.