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The predictors of defensive pessimism: Cognitive flexibility, anxiety, and big-five personality traits

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Abstract

This study aims to investigate the predictor power of cognitive flexibility, anxiety, and neuroticism, and openness personality traits on defensive pessimism in the context of a high-stakes test. For this purpose, the study conducts the adaptation of the Defensive Pessimism Questionnaire (DPQ) and the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), and measures the validity and reliability of these tools on Turkish teenagers. The participants in the study consisted of three independent groups of participants with a total number of 1361 students enrolling at high schools. The DPQ, CFI, Big-Five Inventory, and Trait-State Anxiety Scale were administered to the participants. The findings demonstrated that the factor structures of both scales were similar to the original forms, and both of the scales had a high level of validity and reliability. The study also concluded that cognitive flexibility, anxiety, and personality explained 44% of defensive pessimism after a regression analysis.

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The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This article is a version of the first author’s Ph.D. Dissertation advised by the second and third authors. Another version of the dissertation was also presented in XVI. European Conference on Social and Behavioral Sciences Congress.

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  1. The Department of Psychological Counselling and Guidance, Faculty of Education Sciences, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul, 34862, Turkey

    Işıl Tekin

  2. The Department of Psychological Counselling and Guidance, Atatürk Faculty of Education, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Müge Yüksel & Halil Ekşi

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Correspondence to Işıl Tekin.

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The authors declare that all the procedures of the study were conducted in compliance with the Helsinki Declaration. Voluntary participation, anonymity and informed consent were ensured for all participants and there was no experimental manipulation involved in the study.

It has been approved by the Provincial Directorate of National Education. 30.09.2016/ 16110545–300-1600259462.

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Tekin, I., Yüksel, M. & Ekşi, H. The predictors of defensive pessimism: Cognitive flexibility, anxiety, and big-five personality traits. Curr Psychol 42, 17163–17173 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03168-x

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