Abstract
Objectives
In shame, the self is evaluated negatively by oneself, in measures of shame-proneness, or from the perceived perspective of others, as external shame. Both types of shame are associated with anxiety and depression. Mindfulness and self-compassion are associated with shame, and some intervention approaches for shame involve meditation. Aims of the study were to predict each type of shame from mindfulness and self-compassion and to investigate the relationship between meditation practice and each type of shame.
Methods
A correlational design was used to investigate relationships of external shame and shame-proneness with mindfulness, self-compassion, and meditation practice. Two participant samples, of undergraduate psychology students and participants recruited from mindfulness-related websites, completed an online survey.
Results
For both samples, facets of mindfulness predicted external shame and shame-proneness. Self-compassion, administered to the website sample only, also predicted external shame and shame-proneness. Frequency and duration of meditation sessions predicted shame-proneness, but not external shame, in both samples. Meditation did not predict mindfulness or self-compassion for the website sample, but frequency of sessions predicted the Nonjudging facet of mindfulness for the undergraduate sample.
Conclusions
Meditation may be protective against shame-proneness, but other intervention practices may be needed to protect against external shame.
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Acknowledgments
Kathleen Wright recruited participants in Sample 1.
Funding
Funding was received from the School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide, for recruitment of sample 1. No other funding was received.
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Approvals were provided by The University of Adelaide’s Human Research Ethics Sub-Committee for the School of Psychology. All adult participants provided informed consent by participation in the online survey.
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Proeve, M.J. The Relationship of Two Types of Shame with Meditation Experience. Mindfulness 11, 2765–2778 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01489-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01489-1