Future Expectations and Psychological Flexibility: Quantitative and Qualitative Evidence from University Students

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between psychological flexibility and future expectations among university students in Türkiye, integrating sociodemographic indicators with qualitative insights into students’ career-related experiences. Methods: Using a cross-sectional mixed-methods design, online data were collected from 907 university students. Psychological flexibility was assessed using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire–II (AAQ-II), and future expectations were measured with a validated Future Expectations Scale. Quantitative analyses included independent samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation analyses. Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis conducted independently by two coders to enhance analytical rigor. Results: A small but statistically significant negative correlation was observed between psychological flexibility and future expectations (r = −0.20, p < 0.001). In group comparisons interpreted using Bonferroni-adjusted thresholds, psychological flexibility and/or future expectations were most consistently higher among non-Turkish students and among those reporting greater economic comfort, with future expectations also higher among students living with their families. Qualitative findings indicated that career development was primarily facilitated by family and social support and personal resources such as perseverance, planning, and self-confidence, whereas major barriers clustered around economic strain, employment uncertainty, and psychological stressors. Conclusion: Psychological flexibility was statistically significantly but weakly associated with future expectations among university students in Türkiye, which may indicate a modest and potentially incremental contribution within a broader socioeconomic and relational context. Mixed-methods integration suggested that students frequently described family/social support and self-regulatory resources as factors that may facilitate career-related future planning, whereas economic strain and psychological stressors were commonly identified as salient barriers. Given the cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted as associational and not causal; nonetheless, scalable university supports that aim to strengthen flexibility-related skills alongside contextual resources could be considered as potentially relevant avenues for fostering more adaptive future-oriented appraisals.