
The Science of Self-compassion #1: Psychology
Self-compassion has been studied by psychologists for over 20 years. One of the primary researchers studying self-compassion is Kristin D. Neff Dr. Neff was the primary developer of the self-compassion scale [1]. This research on self-compassion has distinguished self-compassion from self-esteem, which had been used in the past as a measure of self-concept: "...high rather than low self-esteem has been associated with increased prejudice toward out-groups (Aberson, Healy, & Romero, 2000; Allport, 1954; Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher, & Wetherell, 1987). Finally, as Baumeister et al. (1996) have argued, an inflated sense of self-esteem may lead to aggression and violence against those perceived to threaten the ego." [2]
According to Dr. Neff, self-compassion has three components: self-kindness: "being kind and understanding toward oneself in instances of pain or failure rather than being harshly self-critical", common humanity: "perceiving one’s experiences as part of the larger human experience rather than seeing them as separating and isolating", and mindfulness: "holding painful thoughts and feelings in balanced awareness rather than over-identifying with them."[2]
Self-compassion has been shown to be positively related to self-efficacy [3], related to reductions in body dissatisfaction in women [4], well-being [5], and many other measures of wellness.
The research is ongoing, and also quite clear - there have not only been individual studies, but also meta-analyses (studies of groups of studies) which show that the development of self-compassion (as measured by the self-compassion scale) can have very positive effects on our lives and well-being.
Next month, I'll do a blog post with some neuroscience research on self-compassion.
1: The Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Self-Compassion
2: Self-Compassion: An Alternative Conceptualization of a HealthyAttitudeToward Oneself
3: A Meta-Analysis of the Relation Between Self-Compassion and Self-Efficacy
5: The Relationship Between Self-Compassion and Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis