Browsing by Department "Eğitim Fakültesi, Rehberlik ve Psikolojik Danışmanlık Bölümü"

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25 Farkındalık Dersi : Şimdi Sağlıklı Yaşama Zamanı
(Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık, 2016) Ögel, Kültegin; Atalay, Zümra; Ameli, Rezvan
"En son ne zaman bir üzümü, bir kirazı bir ısırık elmayı çok yavaş çiğnediniz ve gerçekten tadını aldınız ve kokusunu algıladınız? Elbiselerinizin kumaşının cildinizde bıraktığı hissi algılamak için ne sıklıkta zaman ayırıyorsunuz? Hiç yünün, pamuğun ve ipeğin hissettirdiği duygunun bilincine vardınız mı? Hiç tüm dikkatinizi tek bir nefes alıp vermeye odakladınız mı ve bunu başlangıcından sonuna kadar dikkatlice takip ettiniz mi? Farkındalık, mevcut anı bilinçli bir akıl ve şefkatli, açık ve sevgi dolu bir kalp ile algılamaktır. Hepimiz her bir anda gövdemizde, aklımızda ve kalbimizde nelerin olup bittiğini bilecek kapasitedeyiz ve algıladığımızı kabul etme ve bununla dost olma kapasitesine sahibiz. Farkındalık bize deneyimlerimize tam olarak katılımcı olma ve hayatı sansürsüz yaşamak için gerekli olan tüm araçları sunabilir."
A Preliminary Study on the Role of Personal History of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases on Self-Reported Health Across Countries
(W B Saunders Co Ltd, 2025) Pfuhl, Gerit; Prazeres, Filipe; Kowal, Marta; Aavik, Toivo; Abad-Villaverde, Beatriz; Afhami, Reza; Sorokowski, Piotr; Toplu-Demirtaş, Ezgi
Objectives: Infectious diseases are often associated with decline in quality of life. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between personal history of communicable, i.e., infectious and parasitic diseases and self-rated health. Study design: Secondary analysis of a large dataset multi-country observational study. Methods: We used a four-pronged analysis approach to investigate whether personal history of infectious and parasitic diseases is related to self-reported health, measured with a single item. Results: Three of the four analyses found a small positive effect on self-reported health among those reporting a history of pathogen exposure. The meta-analysis found no support but large heterogeneity that was not reduced by two classifications of countries. Conclusion: Personal history of infectious and parasitic diseases does not reduce self-reported health across a global sample.
Aggression Begets Aggression: Psychological Dating Aggression Perpetration in Young Adults From the Perspective of Intergenerational Transmission of Violence
(Springer, 2021) Toplu-Demirtaş, Ezgi; Hatipoğlu-Sümer, Zeynep
The aim of this study was threefold: (1) to evaluate the factorial validity of the Psychological Aggression (PA) subscale of the Conflict Tactics Scales–Adult Recall version (CTS2-CA), (2) to investigate the prevalence of and gender differences in psychological dating aggression perpetration (PDAP; restrictive engulfment, denigration, hostile withdrawal, and dominance/intimidation), and (3) to explore a proposed path from witnessing interparental psychological aggression perpetration to PDAP via acceptance of psychological aggression as a mediator and gender as a moderator of the mediation. For the first purpose, college students (N = 275) completed father to mother and mother to father forms of the PA subscale of the CTS2-CA. Exploratory factor analyses yielded a single-factor solution for the father to mother (55.86% of the variance) and mother to father (49.12% of the variance) forms. For the second and third purposes, a separate sample of 1015 dating college students (69.6% women) completed the Multidimensional Measure of Emotional Abuse and Abuse subscale of the Intimate Partner Violence Attitude Scale-Revised, along with the PA subscale of the CTS2-CA. Gender differences emerged in the prevalence of restrictive engulfment (85.8% for women and 80.3% for men) and hostile withdrawal (96.3% for women and 91.1% for men). Moderated-mediation analyses revealed that women college students who witnessed more mother to father psychological aggression perpetration tended to hold more accepting attitudes towards psychological aggression and, in turn, perpetrated more psychological aggression against their partners. Common assumptions that boys are more likely to imitate fathers, whereas girls are more likely to imitate mothers and women [but not men] commit verbal aggression may together explain our findings from the perspective of the intergenerational transmission of violence hypothesis. For future research, we suggest investigating the proposed model with the experience of psychological aggression from the parents to the child, which may provide further insights.
All You Fear Is Love: the Roles of Rejection by Intimate Others
(Wiley, 2023) Aracı-İyiaydın, Ayşegül; Toplu-Demirtaş, Ezgi; Rohner, Ronald P. P.; Akçabozan-Kayabol, Nazlı Büşra
Interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory (IPARTheory) asserts that recollections of parental rejection in childhood tend to result in psychological maladjustment and intimacy problems in later romantic relationships. Informed by IPARTheory, we investigated the association between maternal & paternal rejection, and fear of intimacy by the mediating role of psychological maladjustment in a Turkish sample with 462 mostly young adults. We further explored the moderator role of gender in Model 1 and the moderating roles of both gender and intimate partner rejection in Model 2. Model 1 revealed that adults who had experienced maternal and paternal rejection in childhood tended to be psychologically maladjusted. Consequently, they also tended to have a fear of intimacy, regardless of gender. Model 2 revealed that women who recall having been rejected in childhood by their mothers tended to be psychologically maladjusted and to have a significant fear of intimacy when they also experienced moderate or more than moderate intimate-partner rejection. However, both women and men who experienced paternal rejection in childhood tended to be psychologically maladjusted and to experience a greater fear of intimacy when they perceived any degree of intimate partner rejection. Implications of the results for theory, research, and practice are discussed.
Anne-baba Soruyor, Akademisyen Cevap Veriyor
(2016) Özgülük, Sıdıka Burcu
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Are the Paths To Victim-Blaming Paved With Hostile Sexism, Honor System Justification, and Fragile Masculinity? Evidence From Men in Turkey
(Springer, 2023) Toplu-Demirtaş, Ezgi; Öztemur, Gizem
Victim-blaming is a source of deep concern for survivors of violence since it is linked to feelings of shame, guilt, and embarrassment, as well as less help-seeking behaviors, fear of being known by others, and fear of revenge by the perpetrator. In cases of intimate partner violence, cultural and individual factors such as sexism, honor system endorsement, and fragile masculinity beliefs all play a part in determining who is to blame. This study, therefore, aimed to examine the mechanisms relating hostile sexism to victim-blaming of men from an honor culture, where one's self-worth is dependent on the judgments of others, and men are assigned to safeguard the family's honor. In total, 252 men from Turkey participated in the study. Hostile sexism, supporting honor norms, and fragile masculinity beliefs of men predicted more victim-blaming in a male to female partner violence depicted through a date rape scenario. Supporting honor norms and fragile masculinity beliefs mediated the association between hostile sexism and victim-blaming. Findings suggested that questioning honor codes and masculine ideas may reduce victim-blaming. Implications of the findings for prevention efforts and future studies are highlighted.
Attachment Insecurity and Restrictive Engulfment in College Student Relationships: the Mediating Role of Relationship Satisfaction
(Emerald Publishing Limited, 2019) Hatipoğlu Sümer, Zeynep; Murray, Christine; Toplu Demirtaş, Ezgi; Toplu-Demirtas, Ezgi; Hatipoglu-Sumer, Zeynep
Purpose Studies on restrictive engulfment (RE) – a subtype of psychological aggression in intimate relationships – have focused either on insecure attachment or relationship satisfaction, not both. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate relationship satisfaction as a potential mediator of the associations between anxious and avoidant attachment and RE perpetration among college students. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 322 college students (178 women, 137 men, and seven other gender-identified) completed the experiences in close relationship inventory, relationship assessment scale, and RE subscale of the multidimensional measure of emotional abuse. Findings Among the sample, 89.3 and 90.5 percent of the college women and men, respectively, reported to have used isolating, restricting, monitoring, and controlling behaviors. The results of structural equation modeling revealed that all direct paths except for that from avoidant attachment to RE were significant. Moreover, significant indirect paths were identified from anxious and avoidant attachment to RE via relationship satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The results of this study should be interpreted with consideration of the study’s limitations. First, the data were drawn from a convenience sample of Turkish college students. Second, the design of the study is correlational; therefore, we cannot assume causality. Finally, this study utilized self-report and retrospective data. Practical implications Though the findings are preliminary, they may inform college counselors and other mental health practitioners about the nature of RE within college students’ dating relationships. College students who are unhappy with their dating relationships but still in those relationships (i.e. they choose not to leave) should be assessed for whether they are the perpetrators and/or recipients of psychological aggression, especially in light of the high rates of this form of aggression in the current and previous studies. Furthermore, assessing psychological dating aggression perpetrators for insecure attachment styles may help mental health professionals who work with college students, envisage the sessions toward areas in the need of improvement, such as their views of themselves and others. Self-esteem, feelings of insecurity and inadequacy in relationships, and dependency can be worked with these clients. Social implications The results of this study also have implications for the prevention of psychological aggression before it occurs. The need for prevention programs is evident in the high rates of psychologically controlling behaviors among college students. It may be useful to implement campus wide programs to raise awareness regarding psychological aggression, such as through events, seminars, posters, flyers, and talks with student groups. Originality/value Despite the limitations of this study, its findings offer insight into the factors that influence the perpetration of psychological aggression within dating relationships among college students. Adult attachment theory offers a useful lens for understanding the possible driving forces behind college students’ controlling behaviors toward their dating partners. In particular, college students who demonstrate an insecure attachment style – and especially an anxious attachment style – combined with low levels of relationship satisfaction appear to be at a high risk for perpetrating RE behaviors.
Ayrımcılık ve Şiddetten İnsanı Anlamaya Giden Yol
(2016) Bulgan, Gökçe
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Bisexuals Are Just Greedy!: Developing the Bisexual Myths Scale and Testing Its Preliminary Psychometrics in Heterosexual and Bisexual Plus Samples
(Springer, 2025) Zurnaci, Burcu; Demirtas, Ezgi Toplu; Toplu Demirtaş, Ezgi
IntroductionBisexual myths refer to misconceptions, prejudices, and stereotypes about bisexuality and the relationships of bisexual+ (bi+) individuals. Research on these myths has been limited, partly due to the absence of a measurement tool. This study aimed to develop and validate the Bisexual Myths Scale (Bisex-M), a standardized instrument for assessing both bisexual myths held by heterosexual individuals and internalized bisexual myths among bisexual individuals.MethodsAcross three independent studies, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the Bisex-M. Study 1 used a predominantly heterosexual sample to conduct an exploratory factor analysis. Studies 2 and 3, using heterosexual and bisexual samples respectively, tested the factor structure through confirmatory factor analyses and examined concurrent validity indicators.ResultsIn Study 1, exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure consisting of Bisexual Identity (nine items, eigenvalue = 8.995; 59.97% variance) and Bisexual Relationships (six items, eigenvalue = 1.536; 10.24% variance). Participants who had bisexual acquaintances endorsed fewer myths, while religiosity, conservatism, and negative attitudes toward gay and lesbian individuals were positively associated with myth endorsement. The two-factor structure was confirmed in Study 2 using a primarily heterosexual sample and again in Study 3 using an entirely bisexual sample. In Study 3, higher levels of internalized bisexual myths were also associated with increased psychological intimate partner violence perpetration.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the Bisex-M is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring both externally held bisexual myths within heterosexual samples and internalized bisexual myths among bisexual individuals. The scale demonstrated consistent psychometric strength across diverse samples.Policy ImplicationsThe Bisex-M provides researchers, clinicians, and educators with a practical tool for identifying and addressing myth-related biases. Its use may support interventions aimed at reducing bisexual stigma and inform policies that promote the social and relational well-being of bi+ populations.
Brief Psychometric Analysis of the Self-Evaluation Scale–parent Report (ses–p)
(SAGE Publications, 2017) Atalay, Zümra; Bardhoshi, Gerta; Sherman, Martin F.; Erford, Bradley T.
The Self-Evaluation Scale–Parent Report (SES–P) assesses parents’ perceptions of the self-concept of their children aged 7 to 17 years. Internal aspects of validity indicated a marginal to adequate fit of the data to both the unidimensional and hypothesized 4-factor model. The SES–P had excellent convergent and discriminant validity.
But the Poor Needed It More: Children's Judgments on Procedural Justice To Allocate Resources Between Two Candidates Equal in Merit, Different in Need
(Elsevier Science Inc, 2023) Sıvış, Özce; Acar, Melike
The current study investigated children's judgments on procedural justice and its outcomes when the candidates were equal in merit but different in need. A total of 88 children (41 girls and 47 boys) aged 7 to 11 years were individually interviewed (Mage = 8 years 9 months, SD = 14.065 months). Results showed that, regardless of age, children tended to give educational resources to the resource-poor candidates. However, children's welfare considera-tion of the resource-poor candidates increased with age. Children also made differentiated judgments based on the resource type and treated educational materials as more necessary than educa-tional experiences. Children's age and socioeconomic status (SES) were associated with this differentiation. Younger and high-SES children were more likely to view the outcome of procedural jus-tice (i.e., drawing a stick) for allocating an educational experience (i.e., summer camp) as fair when the result favored the resource -rich candidate. Overall, findings revealed that children do not use a unitary form of fairness in the procedural justice context. The shift from strict equality to welfare concerns continues to develop over middle childhood. (c) 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Career Counseling for International Students: Using the Framework of Social Cognitive Career Theory - 2018 (chapter 14)
(IGI Global, 2018) Bulgan, Gökçe; Çiftçi, Ayşe
International students are a group with diverse career needs and concerns. The challenges international students face (e.g., psychological and sociocultural adjustment issues, language barriers, sense of loss, financial problems, getting used to a new educational system) when they come to study in the United States, as well as their expectations of coming to a new country, may significantly influence their career needs and decision-making processes. In this chapter, the authors suggest social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as a framework for working with the undergraduate and graduate international student population by emphasizing intervention strategies and making specific recommendations.
Children’s Perceptions of Tests: a Content Analysis
(Sicklerville: RU Publications, 2018) Bulgan, Gökçe
Anxiety that students experience during test taking negatively influences their academic achievement. Understanding how students perceive tests and how they feel during test taking could help in taking effective preventive measures. Hence, the current study focused on assessing children’s perceptions of tests using content analysis. The sample consisted of 1143 participants (566 females and 570 males) attending 3rd (n = 320), 4th (n = 420), 5th (n = 197), and 6th (n = 206) grade classes in three public schools in Istanbul, Turkey. The findings indicated that three main domains emerged from the data. The domains and the categories under each domain were as follows: evaluation (grades, success vs. failure, learning and development, and intelligence), emotions (excitement, fear and anxiety, happiness, curiosity, mixed feelings, and disappointment), and experiential process (answering questions, studying, difficulty, thinking, having fun, cheating vs. honesty, and silence). Understanding students’ experiences with testing early on in their education will give researchers and practitioners the chance to plan effective applications for treatment and prevention, which would influence students’ future achievement and experiences. The study findings could also help teachers and school counselors plan more effective teaching and counseling programs that take into account students’ anxiety levels during tests.
Correction To: Validation of the Short Version (tls-15) of the Triangular Love Scale (tls-45) Across 37 Language
(Springer, 2023) Dinić, Bojana M.; Sorokowski, Piotr; Toplu Demirtaş, Ezgi; Frederick, David A.; Pisanski, Katarzyna; Kowal, Marta; Gjoneska, Biljana; Sternberg, Robert J.
Love is a phenomenon that occurs across the world and affects many aspects of human life, including the choice of, and process of bonding with, a romantic partner. Thus, developing a reliable and valid measure of love experiences is crucial. One of the most popular tools to quantify love is Sternberg’s 45-item Triangular Love Scale (TLS-45), which measures three love components: intimacy, passion, and commitment. However, our literature review reveals that most studies (64%) use a broad variety of shortened versions of the TLS-45. Here, aiming to achieve scientific consensus and improve the reliability, comparability, and generalizability of results across studies, we developed a short version of the scale—the TLS-15—comprised of 15 items with 5-point, rather than 9-point, response scales. In Study 1 (N = 7,332), we re-analyzed secondary data from a large-scale multinational study that validated the original TLS-45 to establish whether the scale could be truncated. In Study 2 (N = 307), we provided evidence for the three-factor structure of the TLS-15 and its reliability. Study 3 (N = 413) confirmed convergent validity and test–retest stability of the TLS-15. Study 4 (N = 60,311) presented a large-scale validation across 37 linguistic versions of the TLS-15 on a cross-cultural sample spanning every continent of the globe. The overall results provide support for the reliability, validity, and cross-cultural invariance of the TLS-15, which can be used as a measure of love components—either separately or jointly as a three-factor measure.
Cyber Dating Violence Among Youth and Adolescents: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
(Springer/plenum Publishers, 2025) Erbiçer, Eyüp Sabır; Boranlı, Ece Nur; Metin, Ahmet; Erbiçer, Sinem; Şen, Sedat; Toplu Demirtaş, Ezgi; Espelage, Dorothy L.; Demirtas, Ezgi Toplu
Studies have shown that there are protective and risk factors related to cyber dating violence. However, the effect size of these factors is unclear. This study aims to clarify the effect size of the associations of protective and risk factors, as well as symptoms of mental health conditions, with cyber dating violence perpetration and victimization. Databases, including PubMed, Web of Science (WoS), ProQuest, Scopus, and EBSCOhost were searched to identify relevant studies. Forty-nine studies were included in the current study. Results revealed statistically significant and medium relationships between cyber dating violence perpetration and some risk factors, including offline dating violence perpetration-related factors (i.e., physical, psychological, sexual, relational, verbal/emotional, and threat) and offline dating violence victimization-related factors (i.e., physical and psychological); and small relationships with other risk factors (i.e., sexual offline dating violence victimization, attachment styles, and jealousy), protective factors (i.e., family support and emotional regulation), and mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, and alcohol use). There was also statistically significant and robust relationship between cyber dating violence victimization and verbal/emotional offline dating violence victimization (i.e., risk factor); medium relationships with some risk factors, including offline dating violence perpetration-related factors (i.e., psychological and verbal/emotional) and offline dating violence victimization-related factors (i.e., physical, psychological, sexual, relational, and threat); small relationships with other risk factors (i.e., physical offline dating violence perpetration, attachment styles, childhood sexual abuse), protective factors (i.e., family support, emotional regulation, and self-esteem), and mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress, alcohol use, and drug use). The study's results highlight risk and protective factors associated with cyber dating violence and demonstrate its association with mental health symptoms.
Dating Infidelity in Turkish Couples: the Role of Attitudes and Intentions
(Taylor & Francis, 2017) Fincham, Frank D; Toplu Demirtaş, Ezgi; Toplu-Demirtas, Ezgi
Studies on dating infidelity have mostly been carried out in individualistic, Western cultures and have tended to investigate either attitudes or intentions toward infidelity in isolation from each other. The current study therefore investigated dating infidelity in a more collectivist, predominantly Muslim culture. Informed by the theory of planned behavior, it tested intentions as a potential mechanism that might account for the association between attitudes toward infidelity and reported infidelity. In doing so, the role of gender and infidelity history was also investigated in regard to attitudes and intentions toward infidelity. A sample of 420 college students (292 women) completed the Turkish versions of the Attitudes Towards Infidelity Scale and the Intentions Towards Infidelity Scale. A 2 (gender) × 2 (infidelity history: yes, no) multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed main effects but no interaction effect. Men compared to women and cheaters compared to noncheaters reported more favorable attitudes and intentions toward infidelity. Moreover, intentions toward infidelity fully and partly mediated the association between attitudes toward infidelity and infidelity for women and men, respectively. Findings are interpreted in light of dating infidelity research, with a focus on universal and culturally specific aspects. Recommendations are made for future research.
Decoding Adolescents Internet Addiction, Academic Achievement, and Empathy Levels: Untangling Complex Associations
(IGI Global, 2025) Meral, S.; Altan, Servet
This study explores the relationships between internet addiction, academic achievement, and empathy levels among 179 eighth- grade students. Using regression analyses, the research investigates how internet addiction impacts academic performance and empathy, and whether gender plays a role in internet addiction. Results indicate no statistically significant correlation between internet addiction and either academic achievement or empathy levels. However, a moderate positive correlation is found between empathy and academic performance. These findings suggest that internet addiction may not be a strong predictor of academic or empathic outcomes in adolescents. The study underscores the importance of promoting empathy to enhance academic success and highlights the need for balanced internet use. Future research should consider longitudinal designs and diverse samples to further explore these complex relationships. Implications for educational practices include integrating social- emotional learning programs to foster empathy and support students’ overall well- being. © 2025 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing.
Does Cyber Dating Abuse Victimization Increase Depressive Symptoms or Vice Versa?
(SAGE Publications, 2020) Toplu-Demirtaş, Ezgi; Fincham, Frank D.; Seibert, Gregory S.; May, Ross W.
Although there is a robust positive association between cyber dating abuse victimization and depression, the direction of effects between them is unknown. Thus, we conducted two studies to investigate their temporal relationship. Study 1 (n = 198) examined whether cyber dating abuse victimization predicted depressive symptoms 6 weeks later, after controlling for the initial level of depressive symptoms. Study 2 (n = 264) used a two-wave, cross-lagged design to investigate possible bidirectional relations between cyber dating abuse victimization and depression. Participants in both studies were emerging adults in romantic relationships. They completed the Partner Cyber Abuse Questionnaire and depression subscale of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. Many individuals (42.40% in Study 1 and 36.4% in Study 2) reported experiencing cyber abuse from their partners. Study 1 replicated the cross-sectional association previously found between cyber dating abuse victimization and depression and showed that cyber abuse predicted depression 6 weeks later. Study 2 replicated the findings of the first study and revealed that cyber dating abuse victimization was related to higher levels of depressive symptoms 12 weeks later, but the converse was not the case. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for future research and clinical practice.
Does Support Meet the Need? A Focus Group Study on Parental Support and Students’ Psychological Need Satisfaction in a Minority School Context
(MDPI, 2026) Vasilaki, Eleni; Vasiou, Aikaterini; Vleioras, Georgios; Anastasakis, Marinos; Mastrothanasis, Konstantinos; Mavrogianni, Aristea; Altan, Servet
Highlights What are the main findings? Parental support contributes to minority students' satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Minority educational contexts shape students' psychological well-being through sociocultural and institutional conditions. What are the implications of the main findings? Supportive parenting acts as a protective factor that promotes resilience and psychological well-being among minority students. School and community interventions should address the psychosocial needs of bilingual minority students.Highlights What are the main findings? Parental support contributes to minority students' satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Minority educational contexts shape students' psychological well-being through sociocultural and institutional conditions. What are the implications of the main findings? Supportive parenting acts as a protective factor that promotes resilience and psychological well-being among minority students. School and community interventions should address the psychosocial needs of bilingual minority students.Abstract Background: Parental practices that support autonomy, provide structure, and foster warm relationships are associated with greater satisfaction of students' basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In minority educational contexts, however, students' psychological need satisfaction is also shaped by broader sociocultural conditions that may create additional pressures and sources of chronic stress. Within such environments, parental support may function as a protective factor that helps students cope with educational and cultural demands. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore how parental support contributes to the satisfaction of students' basic psychological needs within a minority educational context where students from the Greek minority attend a bilingual school operating within a Turkish educational framework. Methods: A qualitative design was employed using three focus groups conducted in a minority school located in Gökçeada, Türkiye: one with parents (N = 5), one with lower secondary school students (N = 6), and one with upper secondary school students (N = 6). Interview questions were developed on the basis of Basic Psychological Needs Theory. Data were analyzed thematically by five members of the research team. Results: Findings indicated that parental support influenced students' need satisfaction through practices related to autonomy (e.g., trust, space for mistakes), competence (e.g., encouragement, comparison), and relatedness (e.g., emotional presence, empathy). However, these practices were not experienced in a uniform way. Rather, their meaning and impact were shaped by contextual conditions associated with minority status, including bilingual educational demands, limited resources, and close-knit community dynamics. Conclusions: The study suggests that in minority school settings, parental support operates not simply as a general interpersonal resource but as a contextually mediated protective process. By showing how sociocultural and institutional conditions shape the enactment and experience of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, the findings extend existing BPNT research beyond majority settings and offer a more context-sensitive understanding of students' psychological need satisfaction.
Does Support Meet the Need? A Focus Group Study on Parental Support and Students’ Psychological Need Satisfaction in a Minority School Context
(Healthcare, 2026) Vasiou, Aikaterini; Altan, Servet; Vasilaki, Eleni; Mavrogianni, Aristea; Vleioras, Georgios; Anastasakis, Marinos; Mastrothanasis, Konstantinos
Background: Parental practices that support autonomy, provide structure, and foster warm relationships are associated with greater satisfaction of students’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In minority educational contexts, however, students’ psychological need satisfaction is also shaped by broader sociocultural conditions that may create additional pressures and sources of chronic stress. Within such environments, parental support may function as a protective factor that helps students cope with educational and cultural demands. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore how parental support contributes to the satisfaction of students’ basic psychological needs within a minority educational context where students from the Greek minority attend a bilingual school operating within a Turkish educational framework. Methods: A qualitative design was employed using three focus groups conducted in a minority school located in Gökçeada, Türkiye: one with parents (N = 5), one with lower secondary school students (N = 6), and one with upper secondary school students (N = 6). Interview questions were developed on the basis of Basic Psychological Needs Theory. Data were analyzed thematically by five members of the research team. Results: Findings indicated that parental support influenced students’ need satisfaction through practices related to autonomy (e.g., trust, space for mistakes), competence (e.g., encouragement, comparison), and relatedness (e.g., emotional presence, empathy). However, these practices were not experienced in a uniform way. Rather, their meaning and impact were shaped by contextual conditions associated with minority status, including bilingual educational demands, limited resources, and close-knit community dynamics. Conclusions: The study suggests that in minority school settings, parental support operates not simply as a general interpersonal resource but as a contextually mediated protective process. By showing how sociocultural and institutional conditions shape the enactment and experience of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, the findings extend existing BPNT research beyond majority settings and offer a more context-sensitive understanding of students’ psychological need satisfaction.