The relationship between the level of self-acceptance and cognitive distortions in middle-aged women and men: socio-psychological aspect

The relevance of the study is determined by the high dynamism of socio-economic conditions, which places special demands on the individual during middle adulthood (30–40 years). This stage is associated with the intensive performance of professional, family, and social roles, which creates risks of psychoemotional stress and highlights the need to study internal adaptation resources. Self-acceptance, as a basic component of psychological well-being, and cognitive distortions, as a factor of maladaptive perception of reality, are of significant interest to social psychology. Their relationship, especially in the context of gender socialization and normative expectations, has not been sufficiently studied. The purpose of the study is to identify the nature and gender characteristics of the relationship between the level of self-acceptance and cognitive distortions in middle-aged people within their social context. Methods. An empirical study was conducted on a sample of 100 people (65 women, 35 men) aged 30–40 years (M = 35.7, SD = 3.5). A set of methods was used: the Self-Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) by V. V. Stolin and S. R. Pantileev, the Unconditional Self-Acceptance Questionnaire by J. Chamberlain and D. Haaga, the Cognitive Mistakes Questionnaire (CMQ) by A. Freeman and R. Dewolf, and the Irrational Beliefs Questionnaire by A. A. Vikhman. Descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used for analysis. Results. The hypothesis of a significant negative relationship between the level of self-acceptance and the severity of cognitive distortions was confirmed (rs from –0.204 to –0.573, p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences in average levels between men and women were found, but qualitative differences in the structure of relationships were identified. In women, self-acceptance was more closely associated with distortions in the socio-emotional sphere (personalization, moralization), while in men, it was associated with distortions in the sphere of risk assessment and normativity (exaggeration of danger, hyper-normativity). Conclusions. A high level of self-acceptance acts as a psychosocial resource that reduces the severity of maladaptive cognitive patterns. The structure of this relationship has gender specificity, reflecting differences in socialization and social expectations. The results obtained substantiate the need to take into account the gender aspect and social context when developing psychological support programs aimed at developing the adaptive resources of the individual during middle adulthood, which is significant for the sphere of professional and social adaptation.

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