Developing a Causal Model of Self-Compassion in Relation to Social Adjustment: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation among Female Secondary School Students
Keywords:
self, compassion, emotion regulation, social adjustment, female studentsAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to develop and test a causal model of the relationship between self-compassion and social adjustment, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of emotion regulation among female secondary school students.
Methods and Materials: This applied study employed a descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of 2,000 female secondary school students enrolled in Educational Districts 1 and 2 of Kerman, Iran, during the 2025–2026 academic year. Based on Cochran’s formula, 234 students were selected through randomized multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires assessing self-compassion, emotion regulation, and social adjustment. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were 0.948 for self-compassion, 0.911 for emotion regulation, and 0.934 for social adjustment, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and LISREL through Pearson correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, structural equation modeling, and bootstrapping.
Findings: Structural model analysis indicated that self-compassion had a positive and significant direct effect on social adjustment (β=0.32, t=3.85) and a positive and significant effect on emotion regulation (β=0.48, t=6.12). Emotion regulation also exerted a positive and significant effect on social adjustment (β=0.45, t=5.74). Mediation analysis showed that the indirect effect of self-compassion on social adjustment through emotion regulation was 0.216, while the total effect was 0.536, confirming the mediating role of emotion regulation. The final structural model demonstrated acceptable fit to the empirical data (χ²/df=2.41, RMSEA=0.072, CFI=0.93, NFI=0.91, and IFI=0.93).
Conclusion: Self-compassion contributes to female students’ social adjustment both directly and indirectly through enhanced emotion regulation. Emotion regulation therefore constitutes an important psychological mechanism through which self-compassion is translated into more adaptive social functioning. School-based counseling and educational interventions designed to strengthen self-compassion alongside emotion-regulation skills may consequently facilitate students’ interpersonal adjustment and their capacity to respond adaptively to social challenges.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Neda khezry mehr (Author); Farzaneh Shiralinejad
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