Abstract:

The main purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between the self-compassion level of university students and their parents’ parental attitudes. In the present study, it was aimed to find out whether there were significant differences between the university students’ self-compassion development, their parents’ attitude and their birth order (first, middle or last born). The data of the study was collected through survey method through a quantitative research understanding. T-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to determine whether there were significant differences between variables. Moreover, Tukey method was conducted to identify the source of the difference; and LSD test analysis, from multiple comparison tests, was carried out in order to clarify the results when the differences were not clear and distinct. Finally, correlation analyses were performed to understand the relationship and its direction between self-compassion scores of university students and their parents’ parental attitudes scores. The results showed that; (1) there was a significant and positive relationship between democratic parental attitudes and self-compassion level of university students; while there was a significant and negative relationship between authoritarian and helicopter parental attitudes and self-compassion level of university students. (2) There was a significant relationship between the perceived helicopter and democratic parental attitudes and birth order (firs, middle or last born) of university students. Moreover the results demonstrated that, first born children’s perceived parental attitude was democratic in comparison to middle and last born children; while last born children’s perceived parental attitude was helicopter in comparison to middle born children.

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