How state and trait self-kindness and stress are associated : an experience sampling study among university students

2020 
The association between perceived stress and self-compassion is increasingly being attended to. It was shown that people with a higher level of self-compassion show lower levels of perceived stress compared to people with a lower level of self-compassion. However, studies on self-compassion mostly focused on aspects of mindfulness and did not focus on self-kindness itself. Further, there is a lack of research assessing daily self-kindness and stress and the association between these variables. This study aims to fill this gap in research and assess the association between self-kindness and stress on a state and trait level. A longitudinal experience sampling study with a sample size of 35 students (Mage = 21.29) was conducted. To measure trait self-compassion/kindness and stress the Self-Compassion Scale Short-Form, (SCS-SF) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used. Participants had to answer single-item questions concerning state self-kindness and state stress three times a day. An Experience Sampling Method was used. The results showed a negative association between state self-kindness and trait and state stress as well as a negative association between state and trait self-kindness and state stress. The association differed slightly on trait and state levels. As expected, the associations were trait- as well as state-like. This research has enhanced the understanding of the relationship between stress and self-kindness. The results of this study provide valuable information to develop intervention and prevention programs regarding stress in university students.
    • Correction
    • Source
    • Cite
    • Save
    • Machine Reading By IdeaReader
    0
    References
    0
    Citations
    NaN
    KQI
    []