An Investigation into the Relationship between Unconditional Self-Acceptance, Self-Compassion and Anxiety
Year: 2020
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The construct of Unconditional Self-Acceptance (USA) has been proposed as an essential ingredient in the area of mental well-being for more than half a century. USA entails accepting oneself regardless of external circumstances. More recently, the construct of self compassion, which involves being kind and understanding towards oneself in times of difficulty, has been proposed as a more beneficial way of dealing with adversity and enhancing well-being. This study sought to focus on anxiety, looking at its’ relationship with both of these constructs and ask the question whether self-compassion would be a stronger predictor of anxiety than USA in a non-clinical sample. It was predicted that a negative correlation would be found between both USA and anxiety, and self-compassion and anxiety, and furthermore that self-compassion would significantly predict anxiety. Participants (N = 94), recruited via social media, using a convenience sampling method, were presented with three questionnaires for completion. Statistical results found a small negative correlation between USA and anxiety and a medium negative correlation between self-compassion and anxiety. Furthermore, self-acceptance was found to significantly predict anxiety while controlling for USA and demographic variables. Results suggest a closer examination into the role of self-compassion in lowering levels of anxiety is warranted. Key words : unconditional self-acceptance, self-compassion, anxiety.
Source: NORMA
Author: Patrick Slattery
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3168211321