Self-Compassion as an Agent for Change: Enhancing Attention and Reducing Distress among Young Adults.

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of induced self-compassion on affect biased attention and psychological distress after negative aspect of oneself made significant. Moreover, the study examines the differences of demographic variables age, gender, birth order, family system and education across experimental and control conditions. The study was based on experimental research design. Participants comprised of young adults (n=65) enrolled in Bahria University Islamabad Campus. Both boys (n=32,49.2%) and girls (n=33,50.8%) participated in the study. Data was collected using convenient sampling technique. Two self-report measures including Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (Watson et al.,1988) and Positive and Negative Affect Scale (Kessler Ronald, 2003) and Dot Probe Pictorial Stimuli (IAPS; Lang et al., 2008) were used for data collection. Repeated measure anova analysis was applied for testing the hypothesis. The finding revealed that negative affect and psychological distress decreases and positive affect and affect biased attention increases from pre to post assessment in self compassion group as compared to control group. The findings empirically established the use of self-compassion may help people have the cognitive flexibility to turn away from negative thought or experiences in young adults. Our study provides strong evidence that self-compassion does influence psychological distress and automatic, antecedental emotional regulation processes, especially negative disengaging and positive engaging following the experience of inadequacy. Regular self-compassionate writing activities may have a longer-term advantage on the wellbeing of young adults.