(PS6-A14) Understanding the Relationship Between Six Components of Self-compassion and Body Satisfaction

Positive psychology highlights the presence of strengths and positive characteristics rather than the absence of negative or maladaptive characteristics. In recent years, self-compassion has received attention for its potential benefits in enhancing one’s general well-being, including promoting positive body image. Self-compassion refers to a positive attitude focused on recognizing and accepting one’s failures and flaws with a balanced awareness and kindness. Self-compassion has been introduced as an alternative way of thinking about one’s body that has promising potential for promoting body satisfaction as well as alleviating the suffering associated with body dissatisfaction. The current study aimed to explore the potential benefits of self-compassion by examining the relationship between the six components of self-compassion and appearance satisfaction. Participants included 972 adults recruited from online survey portals. Their mean age was 40.15 years (SD = 12.33), and 53.3% were male. Participants completed the Appearance Evaluation subscale of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ; Cash, 1990) and the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003). The Self-Compassion Scale includes three positive subscales (i.e., self-kindness, mindfulness, and common humanity) and three negative subscales (i.e., self-judgment, over-identification, and isolation). Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between the six components of self-compassion and appearance evaluation. The overall linear regression was statistically significant (R² = .26, F (7, 964) = 47.49, p < .001). The results indicated that the positive components of self-compassion positively and significantly predicted subjective appearance satisfaction and perceived attractiveness of oneself (β_sk = .57, p < .001; β_mf = .42, p</em> < .001; β_ch = .41 p < .001). The results also indicated that the self-judgment and over-identification components of self-compassion negatively and significantly predicted perceived appearance satisfaction of oneself (β_sj = - .27, p = .004; β_oi = - .48, p</em> < .001) while isolation did not significantly predict appearance evaluation (β_iso = - .28, p = .051). These findings imply that having a compassionate attitude towards oneself is related to finding one’s appearance more attractive and satisfying. Furthermore, these findings suggest that although the six components of the Self-Compassion Scale collectively assess overall compassionate attitude towards oneself, each component may have varying degrees of association with one’s appearance satisfaction. Further studies should explore each component of self-compassion, in addition to exploring overall self-compassion, to better understand the role of each component. Further fine-grained analyses of the components of this construct may aid in providing self-compassion intervention tailored to individuals’ needs. Future studies should also consider exploring other facets of positive body image and their relationship with the six components of self-compassion in order to grasp a comprehensive understanding of self-compassion and its putative benefits on boosting positive body image domains.