Explaining the Relationship between Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Social Competence in Female Students: the Mediating Role of Interpersonal Forgiveness

The aim of this study was to explain the relationship between mindfulness, self-compassion, and social competence in female students based on the mediating role of interpersonal forgiveness. The statistical population of this study included all female students at the University of Tehran in all disciplines during the second half of the 2019-2020 academic year, from which 378 participants were selected using available sampling. The self-report tools included Social Competence Questionnaire (SCQ), Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS), Self-Compassion Scale, and Interpersonal Forgiveness Scale (IFS). The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that the indirect coefficient path between mindfulness (p < 0.01, β=0.185) and self-compassion (p < 0.01, β=0.227) to social competence were significant (p < 0.01). The finding indicated that self-compassion, mindfulness, and interpersonal forgiveness explain 64% of the variance in social competence in female students. It seems that being mindful of the present, and having compassion for oneself, could lead to forgiveness towards others, and consequently improve social competency.