Personality Traits and Self-Compassion in Relation to Psychological Well-Being in Farhangian University Students: A Cross-Cultural Study

Abstract

It has been well established that personality traits and self-compassion are associated with psychological well-being, thus, the current research aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms in a collectivist culture. Methodology: The present study was a descriptive correlational one in terms of purpose and in terms of data collection. Quantitative research approach was used. Male and female University students of Ahvaz Farhangian University were considered as a studies population. For the purpose of the research, 150 students were selected as a sample using voluntaryavailable sampling method. for measurement Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale, the NEO Personality Inventory, and Neff's Self-Compassion Scale. Findings: The results of correlation analysis showed that there were significant relationships between the personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) and self-compassion (self-kindness, isolation, mindfulness, and the total score of self-compassion) with psychological well-being. The regression analysis showed that neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness significantly predicted psychological well-being. Discussion: The current research was one of the first Iranian studies which addressed to the issues with a cultural point of view. Also, this research tried to direct attention to other social factors influencing gender differences (e.g., traditional socialization) as well which are not discussed in other similar studies. The cultural implications and future orientations have been discussed.