Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Psychology
Date of Award
8-2013
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Stacey Williams
Committee Members
Ginni Blackhart, Jodi Polaha
Abstract
Sexual minorities must deal daily with their stigmatized identities. Specifically, depression and anxiety as well as psychological distress and self-stigma are common among people with stigmatized identities. Self-compassion has been linked to enhanced psychological well-being and less negative feelings toward the self. The aim of this study was to investigate selfcompassion as a potential buffer of the effects of sexual minority related rejection experiences on self-perceptions of stigma and psychological symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to a self-compassion induction group versus 1 of 3 control groups (self-esteem only induction; expressive writing condition; true control) to examine whether self-compassion can be induced to reduce self-stigma, negative mood, and fear of negative evaluation. Results did not support hypotheses; analyses revealed nonsignificant effects for the self-compassion induction. However, results revealed a significant main effect for trait self-compassion predicting outcomes of decreased self-stigma, fear of negative evaluation, and negative mood, and increased positive mood.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Chandler, Sheri, "Can Self-Compassion Be Induced to Reduce Sexual Minority Stigma and Protect Psychological Functioning?" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1203. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1203
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.