The Relationship Between Differentiation of Self and Authentic Personality: The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37708/psyct.v19i1.1238

Keywords:

Differentiation of Self, Self-Compassion, Authentic Personality, Personality, Self and Family

Abstract

This study explored how self-compassion may explain the link between differentiation of self and authentic personality. Although both constructs have strong theoretical relevance, little is known about how differentiation contributes to authenticity. Given that authenticity involves expressing a coherent and integrated sense of self across emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and moral domains, differentiation may provide its structural foundation. Therefore, it was examined whether self-compassion serves as a mediating regulatory mechanism through which differentiated capacities translate into authentic self-expression. Participants were 591 university students who completed measures of differentiation of self, self-compassion, and authentic personality. Results showed that self-compassion was positively related to authentic personality and partially mediated the relationship between I-position and authenticity. However, no significant mediation effects were found for emotional reactivity, emotional cut-off, or fusion with others. These findings suggest that maintaining a clear sense of self may foster authenticity, particularly when individuals relate to themselves with compassion, highlighting self-compassion as a pathway linking self-differentiation to authentic living.

Author Biography

  • Ferzan Curun, Maltepe University

    Ferzan Curun
    Maltepe University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, İstanbul, Türkiye
    ORCID: 0000-0002-9221-2822

    Emine Önen
    Gazi University, Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Sciences, Division of Measurement and Evaluation in Education, Ankara, Türkiye
    ORCID: 0000-0002-0398-3191

    Başak Beydoğan Tangör
    Independent Researcher
    ORCID: 0000-0002-9442-583X

    Corresponding Author
    Ferzan Curun, Maltepe University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, İstanbul, Türkiye
    Email: ferzancurun@maltepe.edu.tr

     

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Published

2026-05-31

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Research Articles

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