Childhood Negative Experiences of University Students and the Mediating Role of Ego Situations in Willingness to Self-Censorship

In this study, it was aimed to examine whether the parent, adult and child ego states in the Transactional Analysis theory ego states model have a mediating effect on the childhood negative experiences of university students and their willingness to self-censorship. The study was organized in accordance with the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. In this context, the study group of the research consists of 343 university students who continue their undergraduate education in different universities and faculties. 71.4% (n=245) of the university students participating in the research are female and 28.6% (n=98) are male students. In the data collection phase of the study, the Self-Censorship Willingness Scale, Childhood Trauma Scale and Ego State Scale were used. Research data were obtained online by organizing data collection tools electronically via Google Forms. In the process of analyzing the obtained data, correlation analysis and regression analysis based on the bootstrap method were performed. In the study, it was found that among the ego states in Transactional Analysis theory, only the child ego state had a mediating role in the relationship between childhood negative experiences and the willingness to self-censorship. Besides adult ego states and parental ego states, on the other hand, were found to have no mediating role in the relationship between childhood negative experiences and the willingness to self-censorship. The findings obtained as a result of the study were discussed within the framework of the relevant literature. Finally, various suggestions were made to psychological counselors working in the field in order to increase awareness of the willingness to self-censorship in individuals of different age groups and to reduce the willingness to self-censorship.