Self-compassion as a predictor of social safeness in Turkish university students

There are few studies that have examined the role of self-compassion in the context of social life, while self-compassion appears to enhance interpersonal relationship skills. The purpose of this study is to examine the predictive role of self-compassion on social safeness. Participants were 401 university students (213 women, 188 men; M age= 20.5 yr.). In this study, the Self-compassion Scale and the Social Safeness and Pleasure Scale were used. The relationships between self-compassion and social safeness were examined using correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. In the correlation analysis, self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness factors of self-compassion were found to be positively related, and self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification factors of self-compassion were found to be negatively related to social safeness. According to regression results, social safeness was predicted positively by mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity. Further isolation predicted social safeness in a negative way. The regression model explained 28% of the variance in social safeness. Together, the findings illuminate the importance of self-compassion on social adjustment. The results are discussed in the light of the related literature.