Author: Kelly, Allison C.; Dupasquier, Jessica
Description: Researchers have theorized that experiences of emotional warmth in early life influence the development of the soothing system, an affect regulation system thought to underpin individuals’ capacity for self-compassion and receiving compassion. The current study tested the theory that feelings of social safeness, also considered an output of the soothing system, might be a key mechanism through which parental warmth and capacities for compassion are linked. One-hundred and fifty-three female college students completed online measures of parental rearing behaviors, social safeness, positive and negative affect, self-compassion, received social support, and fears of compassion. Bootstrapping analyses supported our hypothesized mediational model. Controlling for overprotective and rejecting parenting behaviors, recalled parental warmth was linked to a greater capacity for self-compassion (high self-compassion, low fear of self-compassion) and receiving compassion (high received social support, low fear of receiving compassion) indirectly through affective experiences in general, and feelings of social safeness in particular. These findings suggest that differences in feelings of connectedness, reassurance, and contentment in social relationships might help to explain why children who recall fewer experiences of emotional warmth with parents are less capable and more afraid of self-compassion and receiving compassion. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Subject headings: Social safeness; Self-compassion; Compassion; Fear of self-compassion; Fear of receiving compassion; Social support; Parental warmth
Publication year: 2016
Journal or book title: Personality and Individual Differences
Volume: 89
Pages: 157-161
Find the full text: https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/KellyDupasquier_2016.pdf
Find more like this one (cited by): https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=11102121202562137608&as_sdt=1000005&sciodt=0,16&hl=en
Serial number: 3541
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