Spiritual Intelligence of mothers as a Predictor of Self-Efficacy and Self- Compassion in Adolescents

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the relationship between the spiritual intelligence of mothers and its impact on the self-efficacy and self-compassion levels of their adolescent children. The study employed a correlational research design, utilizing self-report questionnaires to collect data from a sample of adolescents aged 13 to 19 (M Age=15.88, S.D=2.10) years and their mothers. The Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (SISRI-24) was used to assess the spiritual intelligence of mothers, while the General Self- Efficacy Scale (GSE) and Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) were employed to measure the self-efficacy and self-compassion levels of adolescents through convenient and snowball sampling. The results indicated a significant positive correlation between the spiritual intelligence of mothers and the self-efficacy and self-compassion levels of their adolescent children. Adolescents whose mothers exhibited higher levels of spiritual intelligence tended to report greater self-efficacy beliefs and higher levels of self-compassion. Furthermore, stepwise regression analysis revealed that the spiritual intelligence of mothers significantly predicted bothself-efficacy and self-compassion in adolescents, even after controlling for potential confounding variables. The presence of spiritual intelligence in mothers may contribute to the development of a secure and nurturing environment, promoting adolescents' belief in their own capabilities and their ability to treat themselves with kindness and understanding.