Resisting self-compassion: Why are some people opposed to being kind to themselves?. Issue 5 (2nd September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Robinson, Kelley J.; Mayer, Selina; Allen, Ashley Batts; Terry, Meredith; Chilton, Ashley; Leary, Mark R.
• Is Part Of: Self and identity. Volume 15:Issue 5(2016)
• Page Start: 505
• Page End: 524
• Publication Date: 2016-09-02
• Subjects: Self-compassion -- self-criticism -- values; Self -- Periodicals; Identity (Psychology) -- Periodicals; Cognition -- Periodicals; Motivation (Psychology) -- Periodicals; 155.205
• DOI: 10.1080/15298868.2016.1160952
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1529-8868

Abstract

Abstract: Although self-compassion is associated with positive emotions, resilience, and well-being, some people resist recommendations to treat themselves with kindness and compassion. This study investigated how people's personal values and evaluations of self-compassionate behaviors relate to their level of self-compassion. After completing measures of trait self-compassion and values, participants rated how they would view themselves after behaving in a self-compassionate and self-critical way. Overall, participants associated self-compassion with positive attributes that connote emotional well-being, yet only those who were low in trait self-compassion associated self-compassionate responding with negative attributes that involve low motivation, self-indulgence, low conscientiousness, and poor performance. Participants' endorsement of basic values was not meaningfully related to their evaluations of self-compassionate vs. self-critical behaviors or to self-compassion scores. We propose that self-compassion might operate as an instrumental value insofar as those high vs. low in self-compassion differ in their beliefs about whether self-compassion affects performance-related outcomes positively or negatively.