RESEARCH_FILE
Kristin Neff
University of Texas at Austin
Known for:Defining and measuring self-compassion, and testing it as an alternative to self-criticism
Key findings
- 2003
Developed and validated the Self-Compassion Scale, operationalizing self-compassion as self-kindness versus self-judgment, common humanity versus isolation, and mindfulness versus over-identification — making the construct measurable for the intervention research that followed. The Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Self-Compassion ↗
- 2015
With Albertson and Dill-Shackleford, showed in a randomized controlled trial that three weeks of self-compassion meditation reduced body dissatisfaction, body shame, and appearance-contingent self-worth in women relative to a waitlist control, with gains maintained at three-month follow-up. Self-Compassion and Body Dissatisfaction in Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Meditation Intervention ↗