Understanding the Self-compassionate Mindset in Older Adults by Ashley Batts Allen Department ...

174 Pages·2011·5.77 MB·English

by  Ashley Allen

Understanding the Self-compassionate Mindset in Older Adults
by
Ashley Batts Allen
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Duke University

Date:_______________________
Approved:

___________________________
Mark R. Leary, Supervisor

___________________________
Rick Hoyle

___________________________
Laura Richman

___________________________
Linda George

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of
Psychology and Neuroscience in the Graduate School
of Duke University

2011

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ABSTRACT
Understanding the Self-compassionate Mindset in Older Adults
by
Ashley Batts Allen
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Duke University

Date:_______________________
Approved:

___________________________
Mark R. Leary, Supervisor

___________________________
Rick Hoyle

___________________________
Laura Richman

___________________________
Linda George

An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of
Psychology and Neuroscience in the Graduate School
of Duke University

2011
Copyright by
Ashley Batts Allen
2011
Abstract
Self-compassion has been shown to predict well-being, possibly by buffering
people against the unpleasant emotional and cognitive reactions that accompany negative
life events. Although most previous research has been conducted with young adults,
preliminary studies show that self-compassion may be beneficial for older adults. Three
studies tested self-compassion’s impact on thoughts, emotions, and behaviors associated
with aging using samples of individuals between the ages of 62 and 104. Study 1
examined self-compassion as it relates to health promotion behaviors, specifically use of
assistance and trying new activities. Although some findings supported the hypotheses,
results showed that high and low self-compassionate individuals did not differ in their use
of assistance or willingness to try new activities. Study 2 implemented a brief self-
compassion manipulation to test its effects on thoughts and emotions. Unfortunately,
random assignment failed to equate the experimental conditions, rendering the results
difficult to interpret. After controlling for baseline self-compassion, the manipulation did
not have the predicted effects on well-being. In fact, participants seemed to benefit more
when merely writing about negative events than when writing about them in a self-
compassionate fashion. Finally, Study 3 examined self-compassionate cognitions,
specifically whether or not self-compassionate thoughts mediate the relationship between
trait self-compassion and emotional well-being. Self-compassionate participants did think
differently than their low self-compassion counterparts, and these cognitions mediated
the relationship between self-compassion and positivity of their responses. However,
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cognitions did not mediate the relationship between trait self-compassion and emotion
outcomes. Two possible explanations for the unexpected results of the three studies
include the relatively healthy nature of the sample and the strength of the self-compassion
manipulation. Suggestions for future research include examining how self-compassion
relates to the motivations behind engaging in health promotion, allowing participants to
write more freely in the self-compassion manipulations, and bringing self-compassion
research with older adults into controlled laboratory settings.
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Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................iv!
List of Tables..................................................................................................................................ix!
List of Figures..................................................................................................................................x!
Acknowledgements.........................................................................................................................xi!
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................1!
1.1 Background.........................................................................................................................2!
1.2 Predictors of Well-being......................................................................................................4!
1.2.1 Cognitive Appraisals......................................................................................................4!
1.2.2 Social Support................................................................................................................6!
1.2.3 Self-esteem.....................................................................................................................7!
1.2.4 Coping............................................................................................................................8!
1.2.5 Summary......................................................................................................................10!
1.3 Self-compassion................................................................................................................10!
1.3.1 Self-compassion and Well-being..................................................................................10!
1.3.2 Self-compassion and Aging..........................................................................................12!
1.4 Preliminary Studies...........................................................................................................15!
2. Study 1: Self-compassion and Health-promoting Behavior......................................................20!
2.1 Methods.............................................................................................................................21!
2.1.1 Participants...................................................................................................................21!
2.1.2 Procedure......................................................................................................................21!
2.1.3 Materials.......................................................................................................................22!
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2.2 Results...............................................................................................................................27!
2.2.1 General Well-being......................................................................................................27!
2.2.2 Use of Assistance.........................................................................................................27!
2.2.3 Trying New Activities..................................................................................................30!
2.3 Discussion.........................................................................................................................33!
3. Study 2: Inducing State Self-compassion..................................................................................37!
3.1 Methods.............................................................................................................................38!
3.1.1 Participants...................................................................................................................38!
3.1.2 Procedure......................................................................................................................39!
3.1.3 Materials.......................................................................................................................41!
3.2 Results...............................................................................................................................42!
3.2.1 Preliminary Analyses...................................................................................................42!
3.2.2 Verification of Comparability of Treatment Groups....................................................42!
3.2.3 Manipulation Check.....................................................................................................43!
3.2.4 Effects of Writing Self-compassionately.....................................................................44!
3.2.4.1 Emotions...............................................................................................................44!
3.2.4.2 Self-blame.............................................................................................................46!
3.2.4.3 Successful Aging..................................................................................................48!
3.2.4.4 Age-related Events................................................................................................49!
3.2.4.5 Self-compassion....................................................................................................49!
3.3 Discussion.........................................................................................................................50!
4. Study 3: Self-compassionate Cognitions...................................................................................54!
4.1 Methods.............................................................................................................................56!
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4.1.1 Participants...................................................................................................................56!
4.1.2 Procedure......................................................................................................................56!
4.1.3 Materials.......................................................................................................................58!
4.2 Results...............................................................................................................................59!
4.2.1 Preliminary Analyses...................................................................................................59!
4.2.2 Verification of Comparability of Treatment Groups....................................................60!
4.2.3 Manipulation Check.....................................................................................................60!
4.2.4 Self-compassionate Cognitions....................................................................................61!
4.2.5 Mediation Analyses......................................................................................................63!
4.2.6 Moderated Mediation Analyses....................................................................................67!
4.3 Discussion.........................................................................................................................71!
5. General Discussion....................................................................................................................76!
5.1 Primary Findings...............................................................................................................76!
5.2 Explanations for Non-replicated Findings.........................................................................81!
5.3 Directions for Future Research..........................................................................................84!
5.4 Conclusion.........................................................................................................................86!
Tables............................................................................................................................................88!
Figures........................................................................................................................................103!
Appendices...................................................................................................................................108!
References....................................................................................................................................152!
Biography.....................................................................................................................................162!

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List of Tables

Table 1: Means, Standard Deviations, Alphas, and Bivariate Correlations for Self-compassion,
Successful Aging, Depression, Taking a Vitamin, and Exercising Frequency..............................88!
Table 2: Bivariate Correlations between Self-compassion and Difficulty, Use of Assistance,
Embarrassment, and Public Concealment across Hearing, Memory and Pain Dimensions..........89!
Table 3: Hierarchical Regression Analyses Testing Self-compassion as a Moderator of Hearing
Difficulty and Hearing Outcomes..................................................................................................91!
Table 4: Hierarchical Regression Analyses Testing Self-compassion as a Moderator of Memory
Difficulty and Memory Outcomes.................................................................................................92!
Table 5: Hierarchical Regression Analyses Testing Self-compassion as a Moderator of Pain
Difficulty and Pain Outcomes........................................................................................................93!
Table 6: Logistic Regression Analyses Testing the Role of Self-compassion as a Moderator in the
Relationship between Walking Difficulty and Walking Outcomes...............................................94!
Table 7: Means and Standard Deviations of Trying New Activities Variables and Bivariate
Correlations with Self-compassion................................................................................................95!
Table 8: Means, standard deviations, and bivariate correlations for self-compassion, self-esteem,
positive and negative self-compassionate cognitions, and the tone of participants’ responses.....96!
Table 9: Hierarchical Regression Analyses Examining the Relationship between Self-compassion,
Condition, and their Interaction on Self-compassionate Cognitions.............................................98!
Table 10: Mediation of the Effect of Self-compassion on Tone of Participants’ Responses to the
Event Through Positive Self-compassionate Cognitions and Negative Self-compassionate
Cognitions......................................................................................................................................99!
Table 11: Mediation of the Effect of Self-compassion on the Extent to which Participants Said
Their Attitude Helped Them Adjust to the Age-Related Event Through Positive Self-
compassionate Cognitions and Negative Self-compassionate Cognitions..................................100!
Table 12: Moderated Mediation of the Effect of Self-compassion on the Tone of Participants’
Responses through Positive Self-compassionate Cognitions as Moderated by Condition..........101!
Table 13: Moderated Mediation of the Effect of Self-compassion on the Extent to which
Participants said their Attitude Helped them Adjust to the Age-related Event through Positive
Self-compassionate Cognitions as Moderated by Condition.......................................................102!

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List of Figures

Figure 1: Univariate Analyses of the Significant Interaction of Self-compassion and Condition on
Attentiveness................................................................................................................................103!
Figure 2: Univariate Analyses of the Significant Interaction of Self-compassion and Condition on
Fatigue..........................................................................................................................................104!
Figure 3: Interaction of Self-compassion and Coded Preventability on the Extent to which the
Participant Saw the Event as Being His or Her Fault..................................................................105!
Figure 4: Self-compassion by Condition Interaction on Self-compassion at Time 2..................106!
Figure 5: Moderated Mediation Model examining possible moderation of condition in the
relationship between self-compassion and positive self-compassionate cognitions when predicting
the overall tone of participants’ responses...................................................................................107!

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