Take it Easy on Yourself: The Role of Self-Compassion in Response to Social Ostracism

Self-compassion involves forgiving oneself following failure, viewing negative emotions from a mindful perspective, and understanding that all human beings are imperfect (Neff, 2003). Self-compassion is associated with a host of positive psychological and physical variables, and it can even be induced to help individuals deal with stress. The present study examines whether self-compassion can be induced in a student sample and whether this inducement can help participants cope with social ostracism. Results indicate that the inducement was not effective in helping individuals respond adaptively to the ostracism manipulation. Discussion focuses on potential problems with the methodology and future directions for research on self-compassion.