Self-Compassion, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation, and Cognitive Flexibility in Parent–Child Relationships in Türkiye: A Dyadic Longitudinal Study


Erdinç B., Akyıl Y., Okur S., DENİZ M. E., SATICI S. A.

Family Process, cilt.65, sa.2, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 65 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1111/famp.70147
  • Dergi Adı: Family Process
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, CINAHL, Psycinfo, Violence & Abuse Abstracts, vLex, DIALNET
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: cognitive flexibility, difficulties in emotion regulation, dyadic longitudinal study, self-compassion
  • Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Despite growing evidence of its role in individual well-being, little is known about how self-compassion influences parent–child interactions, particularly interpersonal and reciprocal processes. Integrative models that combine self-compassion, emotion regulation, and cognitive flexibility are needed to understand how these characteristics affect family dynamics. To cover theoretical and methodological gaps, this study analyzes longitudinal dyadic associations between self-compassion, emotion regulation difficulties, and cognitive flexibility in parent–child relationships. To this end, the Longitudinal Actor–Partner Interdependence Model (L-APIM) was employed as a dyadic analytic approach. The study sample comprised 248 adolescents and one of their parents (N = 496) residing in Türkiye. According to the analysis results, at the actor effects level, adolescents' self-compassion positively affects their cognitive flexibility, while parents' self-compassion negatively affects their own difficulties in emotion regulation. At the partner effects level, adolescents' self-compassion negatively affects their parents' difficulties in emotion regulation, while parents' self-compassion positively affects their children's cognitive flexibility. These results reveal that self-compassion has cognitive and emotional effects on the psychological functioning within the family and that an individual's internal resources play a decisive role not only for themselves but also for the psychological processes of family members with whom they have close relationships. These findings suggest that self-compassion intervention research should consider family psychological connections.