Exploring the relationship between cognitive flexibility and mindfulness with self-regulation in university students

İsmail Ay

African Educational Research Journal
Published: September 12 2023
Volume 11, Issue 3
Pages 460-467
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30918/AERJ.113.23.073

Abstract

Self-regulation is at the center of human behavior and lies at the core of a healthy adaptation to life. Self-regulation refers to individuals’ efforts to modify their thoughts, emotions, desires, and actions in line with the goals they want to achieve. Awareness and flexibility are effective cognitive skills for self-regulation. Although self-regulation is a widely researched subject, the variables it is associated with have not been studied much. However, a detailed examination of these relations will contribute to the development of qualified applications in this regard. So, this study examined the relationships among these three variables believed to be effective in individuals’ problem-solving and adaptation to life. For this purpose, answers to the following questions were sought in the study; is there a significant correlation between mindfulness, cognitive flexibility and self-regulation and are mindfulness and cognitive flexibility significant predictors of self-regulation? This study was conducted using a correlational survey model. The population of the study comprises undergraduate students in 2018 and the study’s sample group consists of 506 students. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation and Multiple Linear Regression analyses were utilized to investigate relationships between variables. According to the regression analysis results, cognitive flexibility and mindfulness have been found to be significant predictors of self-regulation. Accordingly, cognitive flexibility predicts 20% of the variance in self-regulation, while mindfulness predicts 11% of the variance. Furthermore, the results indicate that together, these two variables explain a substantial portion (46%) of the variance in self-regulation. These findings have been evaluated in the context of the relevant literature.

Keywords: Self-regulation, mindfulness, cognitive flexibility.

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