Self-Compassion Predicts Student Athletes’ Negative and Positive Affect After Remembering Exercise-Related Setbacks

Abstract

"Introduction. Previous findings show that self-compassion is an important resource for athletes, being associated with less fear of failure and better adaptation to obstacles. Objective. The study examines the role of self-compassion in predicting student athletes’ negative and positive affect after recalling a negative, shameful experience of physical training. It examines the extent to which self-compassion can predict the different types of positive (soothing and activating) and negative affect in this context. Method. In a correlational design, self-compassion levels were measured in N = 62 student-athletes using the Self-Compassion Scale- Short Form. After remembering a training-related setback, levels of soothing and activating positive affect were measured using the Types of Positive Affect Scale, and levels of negative affect were assessed with the Emotional Distress Profile. Results. Results indicated that self-compassion is a significant positive predictor of both types of positive affect and a negative predictor of negative affect after recalling a negative shameful experience related to physical training. Conclusion. Confirming previous findings, self-compassion was a relevant construct in the sport context, predicting students’ affect. These results suggest that interventions to improve self-compassion may be adaptive for athletes, and may improve their affect, probably leading to more optimal sport motivation, however, interventional studies are needed to investigate the effectiveness of self-compassion interventions in optimizing athletes’ affect and motivation. Keywords: self-compassion, athletes, affect, exercise. "