Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA in Psychology

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Raymond DiGiuseppe

Abstract

This work investigated the interaction of mindfulness and self-compassion when predicting flourishing. Mindfulness and self-compassion have become increasingly popular for their benefits, but there is much to uncover about how these variables elicit favorable and unfavorable outcomes. We hypothesized that having high levels of mindfulness and self-compassion would elicit the strongest relationships with flourishing. We also hypothesized that having high levels of both mindfulness and self-compassion would prevent either variable from having negative relationships with flourishing. Our survey gauged the mindfulness, self-compassion, and flourishing levels of 180 participants from a large, urban, parochial university undergraduate pool. We used hierarchical linear regression to test for an interaction effect of mindfulness and self-compassion when predicting wellbeing, which would provide evidence for a moderating effect. Our results did not support the presence of this moderation; neither variable strengthened the relationship between the other and flourishing. Also, a lack of either variable did not reverse the relationship between the other and flourishing. Given that mindfulness and self-compassion can sometimes elicit deleterious effects on wellbeing, this study provides evidence that a lack of mindfulness or self-compassion are not responsible for these adverse outcomes.

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