AN INVESTIGATION OF ADJUSTMENT LEVELS OF TURKISH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WITH RESPECT TO PERCEIVED COMMUNICATION SKILL LEVELS

The findings of this study, if examined within the context of the Turkish culture, demonstrate that it is very important to arrange effective programs and course activities aimed at increasing effective or good communication skills for Turkish university students. There are some cultural differences between Turkish and Western families in terms of family structure (Hortacsu, Oral, & Yasak-Gültekin, 1991), value judgments system, and child-rearing practices. For example, the traditionally accepted parenting style in Turkey is authoritarian, and control of children and their behavior - especially for females - is more prevalent (Sümer & Güngör, 1999b). As compared to American youth, Turkish youth perceived more family control (Kagitçibasi, 1970), cultural differences in insecure attachment styles were observed, and students with preoccupied styles in the Turkish sample and those with dismissing and fearful styles in the American sample were found to be overrepresented (Sümer & Güngör, 1999a). Authoritarian and permissive/indulgent parenting styles located at two opposite poles were found to be the most common child-rearing practices used by Turkish parents, unlike the results of studies in Western culture (Sümer & Güngör, 1999b).

As a result of this situation, it may be possible that emerging adults who need to reinforce the developmental tasks of adolescence (Kilicci,1989) in Turkish society are more likely to have some undesirable characteristics such as trying too hard to please others, getting very angry easily, shamefulness, difficulties in making decisions about themselves, characteristics leading to low self-reliance (Onur, 1985), not gaining emotional independence, submissiveness, suspiciousness, a lack of assertiveness (Eksi, 1982), external locus of control, inhibition of emotions, and insufficiency in self-expression. In addition, emerging adults may be faced with expectations of high academic achievement in a competitive education system, comparisons with others' success, and disregard of nonacademic achievements. Under such conditions, they are required to have effective communication skills to become mature adults, to have health personality development, and to increase personal and social adjustment.

Consistent with these thoughts, there are some research results demonstrating that personality variables are correlated significantly with social support and psychosocial adjustment to university life, and which show that personality and social support contribute significantly to psychosocial adjustment to university life (Halamandaris & Power, 1999). Furthermore, dysfunctional attitudes have also been found to be significantly related with all the personality and psychosocial adjustment variables, and personality and dysfunctional attitudes contribute significantly to perceived social support and psychosocial adjustment to university life (Halamandaris & Power, 1997). Consequently, teachers and counselors in counseling and guidance centers in Turkish schools should take more responsibility for improving communication skills of students.