Relationship of Early Maladaptive Schemas and Loneliness with University Orientation

Abstract

University education means that starting to a whole new phase in which students are expected to be oriented to many academic, social and personal changes. The aim of this study is to understand the variance of university orientation explained by early maladaptive schemas and loneliness. Institutional Integration Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale and Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form were used. A demographic information form was also distributed to the participants. In the research, hierarchical regression analysis was preferred since it enables controlling the development of regression process. In the first phase of the regression model, only loneliness, which had the highest correlation, was put into the equation. In the second stage, disconnection schema domain and impaired autonomy schema domain, which were showing a high correlation, were added to the equation with loneliness. In the last stage, three models were tested in the equation, including impaired limits schema domain, others oriented schema domain and high standards schema domain. When three regression models were compared, a significant difference could be seen between Model 1 and Model 2. However, the same significance could not be seen between Model 2 and Model 3. Whereas, impaired autonomy schema domain was found significant in Model 3, in which all variables were included in the equation (beta = -. 19). As a result, findings of the study suggested that more than one third of the university orientation variance was explained by loneliness, and disconnection schema domain as well as impaired autonomy schema domain within early childhood maladaptive schemas. Impaired limits schema domain, others oriented schema domain and high standards schema domain did not provide a significant contribution in predicting university orientation.