How Self-Compassion Moderates the Relation Between Body Surveillance and Body Shame Among Men and Women

Abstract

According to objectification theory, being treated as an object leads people, especially women, to perceive themselves as objects. This self-objectification increases body surveillance and feelings of body shame. While this relation is well-established in the literature, little is known about factors that can buffer against detrimental consequences of self-objectification. The current work used a multi-method approach to investigate the role of self-compassion on men and women’s perceptions of their bodies. Study 1 investigated relations between self-compassion, body surveillance, and body shame (N = 60 men, 104 women) using cross-sectional, self-report data. Study 2 (N = 64 men, 94 women) experimentally manipulated self-objectification and self-compassion, assessing resulting body surveillance and shame, whereas study 3 (N = 69 men, 189 women) manipulated self-objectification among participants high and low in self-compassion. In study 1, self-compassion was inversely related to body shame and body surveillance, with self-compassion moderating the link between surveillance and shame among men. In study 2, self-compassion protected women in the high self-objectification condition from engaging in greater body surveillance. Yet, in study 3, self-compassion failed to buffer the consequences of body surveillance on body shame. An integrative analysis (N = 193 men, 387 women) demonstrated that self-compassion was strongly negatively associated with body shame and body surveillance among men and women, protecting against detrimental consequences of body surveillance among men. The current work contributes to a better understanding of links between constructs related to objectification theory and compassion for oneself in the light of gender differences.