Testing a Self-Compassion Intervention Among Job Seekers: Self-Compassion Beneficially Impacts Affect Through Reduced Self-Criticism

Abstract

Job search is associated with various obstacles and difficulties that can elicit negative emotions and undermine positive emotions. Having self-compassion may benefit job seekers' well-being by stimulating more balanced emotional responses to negative job search experiences. In an intervention study we examined whether state selfcompassion can be increased among job seekers through writing exercises in which job seekers are instructed to reflect with self-compassion on their negative job search experiences. We further examined whether the self-compassion intervention benefited job seekers' affective responses, through reducing self-criticism. We designed a between-participants field experiment with two conditions (i.e., self-compassion vs. control) and three measurement times 1 week apart: a baseline questionnaire, the intervention with a second questionnaire, and a follow-up questionnaire (N = 180). Results show that the self-compassion writing exercise increased job seekers' state selfcompassion, which in turn related to their affective responses to job search. Specifically, their negative deactivating affect (e.g., sadness) was lower and their positive deactivating affect (e.g., calmness) was higher immediately after the self-compassion writing exercise than after reflecting freely (i.e., the control condition). The effects on job seekers' affect were partially mediated by reduced self-criticism.

Self‐compassionate reflective writing for affect regulation in Australian perinatal women

“…The large pre-to post-intervention increase in global state self-compassion aligns with previous research that has shown that self-compassionate reflective writing can be useful to increase state self-compassion in response to difficult experiences (Johnson & O'Brien, 2013;Kreemers et al, 2020;Moffitt et al, 2018Moffitt et al, , 2023Sirois et al, 2019). Also in line with the design of our intervention, the positive shift in state self-compassion was demonstrated across each of Neff's three domains of the self-compassion construct.…”

“…The large decrease in negative affect from pre-to post-intervention is also consistent with studies showing that self-compassionate reflective writing can help to mitigate negative emotional reactions in response to embarrassing and shameful experiences (Johnson & O'Brien, 2013;Kreemers et al, 2020;Leary et al, 2007;Sirois et al, 2019). We have extended these findings by demonstrating that online self-compassionate reflective writing can reduce negative affect amongst perinatal women in the context of thinking about challenges and difficult emotional experiences associated with the perinatal period.…”

“…The finding that positive affect did not change as a result of completing the writing task was contrary to theory and research (Kreemers et al, 2020;Neff et al, 2007;Stern & Engeln, 2018). These results, however, should be interpreted in light of several methodological considerations.…”

“…Moffitt et al (2018) found that brief self‐compassionate reflective writing improved weight and appearance satisfaction along with self‐improvement motivation following exposure to a threatening body image scenario. Kreemers et al (2020) asked job seekers to reflect on their worst job‐seeking experience. Those in the self‐compassionate reflective writing condition reported higher levels of state self‐compassion and positive affect and lower negative affect than those in the control condition immediately after the writing task.…”

Simply effective? The differential effects of solution-focused and problem-focused coaching questions in a self-coaching writing exercise

“…Alternatively, the effects of problem-focused and solution-focused questioning techniques may outweigh each other in promoting or hampering action taking. While problem-focused questioning may cause deep reflection but also deactivating negative moods such as sadness and weariness (see Kreemers et al, 2020 ), solution-focused questioning may cause divergent thinking but also unrealistic fantasies that hinder the planning of concrete actions. Unlike concrete goals, positive fantasies lack a clear commitment to behavior ( Oettingen, 2012 ).…”