The Relationship between University Students' Self ... - Science Direct

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

ScienceDirect Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 205 (2015) 349 – 355

6th World conference on Psychology Counseling and Guidance, 14 - 16 May 2015

The Relationship between University Students’ Self Perception, Life Satisfaction and Various Variables Aysegul Ozdemir Topaloglua* a

Biruni University,Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul

Abstract Self-evaluation is a very important process for individuals to determine the present position. If people can not find objective criteria for self-evaluation, they use social comparison process as social criteria. It is important to whom with and which direction to go and it’s managerial effects in social comparison process. At the aim of this study is to compare the relationships between university students' social comparison and life satisfaction. Gender, age, social economic level, mother and father educational status and place of residence differencess were also searched in this context. The sample of the study consisted of 273 university students of Biruni University during the spring semester of 2014-2015. The research is a descriptive study in relational survey model. Main instruments are Information Gathering Form, Social Comparison (SCS) and Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). For data analyses were used SPSS 20.0 version for WINDOWS. The group differencess were tested by t-test and F statistics with post comparison range test. © 2015The TheAuthors. Authors.Published Published Elsevier © 2015 byby Elsevier Ltd.Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license Peer-review under responsibility of Academic World Research and Education Center. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of Academic World Research and Education Center. Keywords: SCS, Life Scale, social comparison

* Aysegul Ozdemir Topaloglu. Tel.: +90-544-4459104 E-mail address: [email protected]

1877-0428 © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of Academic World Research and Education Center. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.09.096

350

Aysegul Ozdemir Topaloglu / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 205 (2015) 349 – 355

1. Introduction The place into which an individual is born, the relationships that s/he builds with others and the experinces s/he has certainly affects his/her development in different ways. While positive environmental conditions seem to have a positive effect on the developmental progress of an individual, negative circumstance might hinder it. The relationship between an individual and his/her immediate surroundings shape the way s/he perceives herself/himself and the world (Sezer, 2010). Emotional, physical and social needs form the basis of our behavioral system. An individual has to form social interactions with others in order to satisfy those emotional, physical and social needs. Naturally, an individual may also make comparisons between herself/himself and the others. These social comparisons might have big impact on psychological states of individuals (Erozkan, 2004). Self-awareness and self-consciousness are quite important for the development of personality. During adolescence, individuals tend to have more opinions of themselves and those opinions tend to be consistent and continuous in terms of ideas, values and behaviors (Aydın, 2005). Self-perception and self-consciousness which have an effect upon the formation of social identities of individuals bring forth the term social comparison. An individual places herself/himself in a social class after s/he compares himself/herself with the others (Kaleli et al, 2014). This comparison with peers especially might have a crucial impact on an individual either in a positive or negative way. For example, individuals who are excluded or with low self-esteem can lower the level of life satisfaction while being accepted as a friend and having self-esteem seem to be connected with higher levels of life satisfaction. As for everyone else, life satisfaction plays an important part for university students, too. Most of the students who go to university have to move away from their hometowns. Therefore, the students have to accommodate themselves to new places and people (Ozgur et al, 2010). The comparison of the expectations with the facts indicates the level of life satisfaction of the individual during their accommodation process (Orkun, 2011). In a sense, life satisfaction can be defined as the extent to which an individual reaches his/her goals (Gurbuz, 2008). Thus, a person reaching her/his goals is more likely to have higher levels of life satisfaction and self-esteem. Although the number of the studies focusing on life satisfaction seems to increase, the amount of research on life satisfaction and self-esteem of university students does not seem sufficient. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the relationship between self-esteem, life satisfaction and other factors among university students. 2. Materials and Method 2.1. Aim of the Study The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between self-esteem, life satisfaction and other factors among university students at İstanbul Biruni University. 2.2. Sampling 216 students at İstanbul Biruni University made up the sample of the study in which screening model was utilized. 2.3. Data Collection Tools Personal Information Form for the students, which was constructed by the researchers and “Social Comparison Scale” and “Life Satisfaction Scale” which was developed by Gilbert et al (1991) and adapted to Turkish by Sahin et al (1993) were used to determine the self-perceptions of the students.


2.3.1. Social Comparison Scale The scale consists of bipolar 18 items with 6 dimensions. The minimum and maximum scores that can be obtained are 18 and 108, respectively. The higher and lower scores indicate positive and negative self-schemes, respectively (Savasır & Sahin 1997). 2.3.2. Life Satisfaction Scale Life Satisfaction Scale consists of five items in 7 Likert type which was adapted to Turkish by Koker (1991). The minimum and maximum scores that can be obtained are 5 and 35, respectively. The scores below 7, 8-12 and 13 and above are considered low, medium and high in terms of life satisfaction level (Dagdelen, 2008). 2.4. Evaluation of the Data The frequencies and percentages of the demographic information were calculated for the analysis and t-test, Variance Analysis and Correlation tests were utilized in order to determine the difference between the variables. The Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient for the scale was found .87. 3. Findings and Results Percentage distributions of students’ gender, age, family income, residence, educational background of parents and departments were done. Then, the findings of Social Comparison and Life Satisfaction scales with respect to different variables were presented. In terms of gender, there were 194 female and 22 males participants in the study. 185 of the participants were between the ages 17-20, 26 people were between 25 and 28. There were only 3 participants who were between 25 and 28 and only 2 people over the age 29. In terms of family income; 38 people reported that their expenditures are higher than their income while 152 people said that their expenditures come up to their income with 26 participants who told that their income falls short of their expenditures. With respect to the educational background, 135 mothers were graduates of primary school, 58 were graduates of high school, 7 had associate’s degree, 14 had undergraduate and 2 had post graduate education while 95 of the fathers were graduates of primary school with 85 fathers who graduated from high school. 8 of the fathers had the associate’s degree while 22 fathers had graduate’s degree. Only 6 fathers had a post graduate degree. 170 of the participants lived with their parents, 21 of them were staying in a dormitory while 25 students were living with a friend. 26 of the students were studying special education, 49 were from the department of child development (bachelor’s degree), 23 were studying language-speech disorders while there were 15 students studying nursing, 49 studying audiology (associate degree) and 54 studying child development (associate’s degree). Table 1. Mean Scores of Life Satisfaction Scale and Social Comparison Scale and the Correlations between the Scales R N Ss (Pearson P X Correlation) Life Satisfaction Scale

216

22.30

6.74

Social Comparison Scale

216

86.38

1.33

0.41

.000**

As seen in Table 1, the relatively high scores that were obtained in social comparison scale (self-perception) and life satisfaction scale imply that the students seem to be quite happy with their lives with self-esteem. According to the correlation analysis between the scales, it can be said that there is a meaningful relationship between students’ life satisfaction and self-perceptions. The variables seem to have a direct and moderate relationship. If the life satisfaction is high, so self-perception is more likely to be high. Sayıner et al. (2007) conducted a similar study on university students and reached the conclusion that university students seem to have positive self-images in general.

351

352


The self-perceptions of the students were examined and the analysis results are presented in Table 2. Table 2. Students’ Scores on Social Comparison Scale and the Variables Variables

N

X

Gender

Female

194

86.42

Age

Male 17-20 age 21-24 age 25-28 age 29 and above

22 185 26 3 2

87.40 86.37 87.42 82.00 95.50

Income is little from expenditure Income is same expenditure Income is high from expenditure Primary Education High School Associate Degree Bachelor's Level Post Graduate Primary Education High School Associate Degree Bachelor's Level Post Graduate With Family With Dormitory With Friend Mental handicapped teaching Child Development Speech and Language Therapy Bachelor’s Level of Child Development Nursery Bachelor’s Level of Audology

26 152 38 135 58 7 14 2 95 85 8 22 6 170 21 25 26 49 23 54 15 49

86.34 87.21 82.76 88.02 85.22 85.57 79.64 74.50 89.83 85.51 79.37 78.04 89.00 87.9 80.85 86.72 89.26 82.32 81.91 90.55 88.93 86.24

P .715

Family income

Mother Educational Status

Father Educational Status

Current residence

Department

.725

.309

.120

.002*

.133

.018*

When we look at Table 2, with regard to the Social Comparison Scale scores, a statistically meaningful difference [P < 0,05] was found between the scores and the fathers’ educational background (Primary Education=89.83, High School=85.51, Associate Degree=79.37, Bachelor's Level=78.04, Post Graduate =89.00 ; P=.002*) and the department that the students study at (Mental handicapped teaching=89.26, Child Development=82.32, Speech and Language Therapy=81.91, Nursery=88.93, Bachelor’s Level of Audiology=86.24; P=.018*). The results implies that the participants whose fathers got primary education only and whose fathers had post graduate education seem to have higher levels of self-esteem. Also, the participants whose mothers are graduates of primary school only show a similar pattern. In terms of the department, the participants who are studying child development to get an associate’s degree seem to have the highest level of self-esteem and it looks like that the older the participants are, the higher levels of self-esteem they have. In addition, the participants who live with their families appear to be more self-confident. In a similar study conducted on a group of young people who were preparing for the exams to go to university by Barlas et al. (2010), it was found that the scores of Social Comparison Scale fell as the mothers’ educational level rose. This study also supports this finding. Gemlik et al. (2007) who conducted a similar on healthcare personnel also related the higher scores to older age. In another study done by Sezer (2010) that examined teenagers and their self-esteem, it was found that the participants whose parents were graduates of primary school and the participants whose income did not meet their expenditures appeared to have more self-esteem.

353


The students’ life satisfaction levels were examined and the analysis results are shown in Table 3. Table 3. Social Comparison Scale Scores of the Students with Respect to the Variables Variables N

X

Gender

Female

194

22.67

Age

Male 17-20 age 21-24 age 25-28 age 29 and above

22 185 26 3 2

19.04 22.69 20.38 16.66 20.00

Income is little from expenditure Income is same expenditure Income is high from expenditure Primary Education High School Associate Degree Bachelor’s Level Post Graduate Primary Education High School Associate Degree Bachelor’s Level Post Graduate With Family With Dormitory With Friend Mental handicapped teaching Child Development Speech and Language Therapy Bachelor’s Level of Child Development Nursery Bachelor’s Level of Audology

26 152 38 135 58 7 14 2 95 85 8 22 6 170 21 25 26 49 23 54 15 49

23.92 22.16 20.76 22.08 23.32 21.85 20.92 18.50 22.32 23.61 14.37 19.09 27.33 22.97 19.19 20.36 20.73 22.42 20.73 23.62 23.93 21.79

P .044*

Family income

Mother Educational Status

Father Educational Status

Current residence

Department

.168

.166

.609

.000*

.016*

.316

When we look at the Life Satisfaction Scores of the students in Table 3, there is a statistically significant difference between the mean scores and the fathers’ educational background (Primary Education=22.32, High School=23.61, Associate’s Degree=14.37, Bachelor's Degree=19.09, Post Graduate Degree =27.33 ; P=.000*), gender (female=22.67, male=19.04; P=0.44*) and the place where the participants live (living with family=22.97, living in a dormitory=19.19, living with a friend=20.36; P=.016*) [P < 0,05]. So it can be said that the participants whose fathers have got a post graduate degree, the females compared to the males and the participants who live with their families seem to have higher levels of life satisfaction. There are different results obtained in terms of the relationship between life satisfaction and gender. Dikmen (1995) found that female workers had higher levels of life satisfaction compared to the male workers. Similarly, Dost (2007) also concluded that female participants’ life satisfaction levels were remarkably higher than the males. These findings support the findings of other studies like Koker’s (1991) on teenagers and Cenkseven & Akbas’s (2007) on university students. Ozgur et al. (2010) compared the life satisfaction levels of university students and pointed that the students who lived in a house rather than a dormitory seemed to have higher levels of life satisfaction. 4. Discussion and Conclusion Today, individuals feel lonely while trying to interact with others, do the task they have to do in daily life and stay in good condition in terms of physical and mental health as a result of the technological developments and rapid urbanization.

354


When we look at the way a student perceives himself/herself and the relationship with his/her friends, a positive self-perception with negative or positive attitudes towards friendships will definitely yield different motivational results. A perception of self and others is necessary for social competence (Salmivalli & Peets, 2005). Life satisfaction is an individual’s positive perception of his/her own life based on the criteria s/he determines. In another word, it is the result of the comparison of one’s expectations with the facts in her/his life. Life satisfaction generally covers the whole life of an individual and the various dimensions in it. So, it’s not just the satisfaction of a specific subject but the whole experiences of an individual. Research show that individual and sociocultural variables such as age, gender, marital status, educational background, work, personal characteristics, family can affect the level of life satisfaction in individuals (as cited in Ozgur et al, 2010). A relatively high level of self-esteem can be related to more positive perception of self and a person who believes that s/he is competent enough to deal with something or overcome an event is more likely to have a high level of life satisfaction. Therefore, meaningful relationships between self-respect and life satisfaction are not surprising (Cecen, 2008). This study has its own limitations in terms of sample and methods. As it includes university students only, the relationship between self-perception and the variables such as parent attitudes, work conditions and educational background can be examined with different research populations. On the other hand, independent variables that might possibly affect life satisfaction and high self-esteem can also be probed. In conclusion, it is safe to say that there is a positive relationship between life satisfaction and self-perception. Therefore, it is important to develop self-esteem with life satisfaction in individuals. During adolescence especially, when people often tend to make social comparisons with peers, the importance of self-esteem should be emphasized. Thus, the research and implementations to develop self-esteem will also contribute to the development of life satisfaction in individuals. References Aydın, B.(2005). Cocuk ve Ergen Psikolojisi. Istanbul: Atlas Yayınları.2. Baskı. Barlas,G.,Karaca,S.,Onan,N.,Isıl,O. (2010). The Relationship between Self-Perception and Psychiatric Symptoms in a Group of Students Preparing for the University Entrance Examination. Journal of Psychiatric Nurses 2010;1(1):18-24. Cenkseven, F. ve Akbas, T. (2007). Universite Ogrencilerinde Oznel ve Psikolojik İyi Olmanın Yordayıcılarının İncelenmesi. Turk Psikolojik Danısma ve Rehberlik Dergisi, 3 (27), 43-65. Cakmak, Z., Kara,H. (2011). Yoneticilerde Benlik Algılamalarının Belirlenmesi: Sanayi Orgutlerinde Bir Arastırma. Dumlupınar Universitesi SB Dergisi. Sayı:30. Cecen,A.R. (2008). Sense of Coherence, Family Sense of Coherence and Self Esteem in Predicting Life Satisfaction Among University Students. Journal of Theory and Practice in Education. Articles ISSN: 1304-9496.2008:4.(1):19-30. http://eku.comu.edu.tr/index/4/1/arcecen.pdf Dagdelen, M. (2008). Uretim ve Hizmet Sektorunde Calısan İscilerde Ruhsal Saglık Duzeyi Belirti Dagılımı, Algılanan Saglık, İs Doyumu, Yasam Doyumu ve Sosyodemografik Degiskenlerin Karsılastırılması. Uzmanlık tezi, Inonu Universitesi Tıp Fakultesi. Malatya. Dikmen, A. A. (1995). Kamu Calısanlarında İs Doyumu ve Yasam Doyumu. Yayımlanmamıs Yuksek Lisans Tezi, Ankara Universitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitusu, Ankara. Dost,M. (2007). Universite Ogrencilerinin Yasam Doyumunun Bazı Degiskenlere Gore Incelenmesi. Pamukkale Universitesi Egitim Fakultesi Dergisi Yıl 2007 (2) 22. Sayı132. Erozkan,A. (2004).Lise Ogrencilerinin Sosyal Karsılastırma ve Depresyon Duzeylerinin Bazı Degiskelere Gore İncelenmesi.Mugla: Mugla Universitesi.SBE Dergisi.Guz: Sayı 13. Gemlik,N.,Sıgrı,U.,Sur,H. (2007). Sosyal Karsılastırma ve Ogrenilmis Gucluluk İliskisinin Yonetsel Etkileri: Hastane Yoneticileri ve Calısanları Uzerine Bir Calısma. Yonetim : İstanbul Universitesi İsletme Fakultesi İsletme İktisadı Enstitusu Dergisi.c. 18, s. 57. Gurbuz, A. G. (2008). Ofke Denetimi Egitiminin Lise Son Sınıf Ogrencilerinin Ofkeyle Basa Cıkmaları, Yasam Doyumları ve Depresyon Duzeylerine Etkisinin İncelenmesi. Yuksek Lisans Tezi. İzmir: Dokuz Eylul Universitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitusu. Kaleli Karasakal,N., Aksu,B. (2014). Meslek Yuksekokulu Teknik ve Sosyal Program Ogrencilerinin Sosyal Karsılastırılması Sonucu Girisimci Kisilik Egilimlerini Ortaya Koymaya Yonelik Bir Alan Arastırması. Organizasyon ve Yonetim Bilimleri Dergisi, ISSN:1309-8039, 6, 102. Kılıc,S., Tanrıkulu,H.,Ugur,H. (2013). Job Satisfaction and Social Comparison Levels of Teachers Working for State Schools. International Journal of Human Sciences. Volume: 10. Issue: 1. Koker, S. (1991). Normal ve Sorunlu Ergenlerin Yasam Doyumu Duzeyinin Karsılastırılması. Yayımlanmamıs Yuksek Lisans Tezi, Ankara Universitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitusu, Ankara. Orkun,U. (2011). Tekstil Sektoru Mavi Yaka Calısanlarının Yasam Doyumu ve Tukenmislik Duzeylerinin Is Doyumu Tarafından Yordanması. Yuksek Lisans Tezi.Adana: Cukurova Universitesi.Sosyal Bilimler Enstitusu. Ozgur,G.,Babacan Gumus,A.,Durdu,B. (2010). Life Satisfaction of University Students Living at Home or in the Dormitory. Journal of Psychiatric Nurses 2010;1(1):25-32.

Aysegul Ozdemir Topaloglu / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 205 (2015) 349 – 355 Salmivalli, C., Ojanen, T., Haanpaa, J. ve Peets, K., (2005), "I'm OK But You're Not" and Other Peer-Relational Schemas: Explaining Individual Differences in Children's Social Goals”, Developmental Psychology, Mar, (Number:41,2), 363-75. Savasır, I. & Sahin, N.H. (1997). Bilissel Davranıscı Terapilerde Degerlendirme: Sık Kullanılan Olcekler. Ankara: Turk Psikologlar Dernegi. Sayıner,B.,Savasan,E.,Sozen,D.,Koknel,O. (2007). Yuksekogretim Gencliginin Benlik Algısının Cesitli Degiskenlere Gore İncelenmesi: İstanbul Ticaret Universitesi Ornegi. Istanbul Ticaret Universitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Yıl:6 Sayı:11 Bahar 2007/2.s.253-265. Sezer,O. (2010). Ergenlerin Kendilik Algılarının Anne Baba Tutumları ve Bazı Faktorlerle Iliskisi. Yuzuncu Yıl Universitesi, Egitim Fakultesi Dergisi. Cilt: VII, Sayı: I, 1-19 http://efdergi.yyu.edu.tr.

355