The mediating role of cognitive distortions in the relationship between self-regulation and achievement of gifted and normally developing students

This research was designed according to the correlational design, which is one of the quantitative research methods, and its main purpose is to examine the mediating effect of academic cognitive distortions on the relationship between academic self-regulation and academic achievement of gifted and normally developing students. 251 gifted students and 530 students with normal development participated in the study. Within the scope of the study, the "Personal Information Form", "Academic Self-Regulation Scale" and "Cognitive Distortions Scale for Academic Success" were applied online via Google Forms, and the students' LGS exam scores of 2021 were used for the academic success variable. Pearson correlation analysis, independent groups t-test and mediator moderator model method were used in the analysis of the data. According to the results of Pearson correlation analysis, a positive and significant relationship was found between the self-regulation levels of the students in both ability groups and their success. While negative and low-level significant relationships were found between the self-regulation levels and cognitive distortion levels of the students with normal development and their cognitive distortion levels and achievements, no significant relationship was found between these variables for gifted students. According to the independent groups t-test results, no significant difference was found between the self-regulation levels of gifted and normally developing students. It has been determined that the academic cognitive distortion level of the students with normal development is significantly higher than the gifted students, and the academic achievement level of the gifted students is significantly higher than the students with normal development. As a result of the mediating regulatory model, the effect of self-regulation on cognitive distortions and the joint effect of being gifted or not and self-regulation on cognitive distortions were found to be significant. While self-regulation was negatively associated with cognitive distortions in normally developing students, no significant relationship was found for gifted students. In the relationship between self-regulation, cognitive distortions and achievement, the indirect effects of being gifted differ, these indirect effects are significant in students with normal development, academic cognitive distortions mediate the relationship between academic self-regulation and academic achievement, but the indirect effects are not significant for gifted students detected. The obtained findings were discussed within the scope of the literature and suggestions were made.