Differences in Compassion, Well-being, and Social Anxiety between Japan and the USA.

Research has shown that self-compassion can improve individual well-being in many cultures; however, little research has examined cultural differences regarding compassion for others and individual well-being. Cross-cultural research has indicated that interdependent happiness and Taijin Kyofusho (TKS) (other-focused social anxiety) are aspects of well-being and psychopathology, respectively, related to interdependent (i.e., collectivistic) cultures such as Japan. First, we hypothesized that self-compassion would foster greater positive affect and satisfaction with life in the US than in Japan. Our second hypothesis was that the compassion for others would be association with greater interdependent happiness, and with less TKS symptoms in Japan than in the US. Through a web-based survey of Japanese and American adults, we found that self-compassion was related to positive and negative affect, SAD and TKS symptoms, and well-being in both countries. Compassion for others was found to be associated with increased positive affect and decreased TKS symptoms across both cultures. Simple slope tests revealed that self-compassion had a stronger relation with positive affect among U.S. adults than their Japanese counterparts, whereas compassion for others was related to interdependent happiness only in Japan. These findings suggest that the link between compassion, well-being, and psychopathology might be universal, although the effects of two types of compassion have different patterns between the two cultures.

Examining the factor structure of the Self-Compassion Scale in 20 diverse samples: Support for use of a total score and six subscale scores.

This study examined the factor structure of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) using secondary data drawn from 20 samples (N = 11,685)-7 English and 13 non-English-including 10 community, 6 student, 1 mixed community/student, 1 meditator, and 2 clinical samples. Self-compassion is theorized to represent a system with 6 constituent components: self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness and reduced self-judgment, isolation and overidentification. There has been controversy as to whether a total score on the SCS or if separate scores representing compassionate versus uncompassionate self-responding should be used. The current study examined the factor structure of the SCS using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) to examine 5 distinct models: 1-factor, 2-factor correlated, 6-factor correlated, single-bifactor (1 general self-compassion factor and 6 group factors), and 2-bifactor models (2 correlated general factors each with 3 group factors representing compassionate or uncompassionate self-responding). Results indicated that a 1- and 2-factor solution to the SCS had inadequate fit in every sample examined using both CFA and ESEM, whereas fit was excellent using ESEM for the 6-factor correlated, single-bifactor and correlated 2-bifactor models. However, factor loadings for the correlated 2-bifactor models indicated that 2 separate factors were not well specified. A general factor explained 95% of the reliable item variance in the single-bifactor model. Results support use of the SCS to examine 6 subscale scores (representing the constituent components of self-compassion) or a total score (representing overall self-compassion), but not separate scores representing compassionate and uncompassionate self-responding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of compassionate thinking on negative emotions.

The present study compared the effect of compassionate thinking with other methods traditionally used in cognitive behavioural therapy (cognitive reappraisal, responsibility reattribution, and self-deflection). An instructional manipulation was used, and 207 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to one of these thinking styles or a control condition. The results revealed that participants who engaged in compassionate thinking and cognitive reappraisal reported significantly lower levels of negative emotions compared to those in the responsibility reattribution and control conditions. Furthermore, results of hierarchical regression analyses suggested that habitual use of self-compassion reduced negative emotions in all conditions. These findings suggest that self-compassion and reappraisal reduce negative emotions more than reattribution and self-deflection.

Loving-Kindness Meditation to Target Affect in Mood Disorders: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Conventional treatments for mood disorders primarily focus on reducing negative affect, but little on enhancing positive affect. Loving-kindness meditation (LKM) is a traditional meditation practice directly oriented toward enhancing unconditional and positive emotional states of kindness towards oneself and others. We report here two independent and uncontrolled studies carried out at different centers, one in Boston, USA (n = 10), and one in Frankfurt, Germany (n = 8), to examine the potential therapeutic utility of a brief LKM group intervention for symptoms of dysthymia and depression. Results at both centers suggest that LKM was associated with large-sized effects on self-reported symptoms of depression (d = 3.33 and 1.90), negative affect (d = 1.98 and 0.92), and positive affect (d = 1.63 and 0.94). Large effects were also found for clinician-reported changes in depression, rumination and specific positive emotions, and moderate effects for changes in adaptive emotion regulation strategies. The qualitative data analyses provide additional support for the potential clinical utility of the intervention. This proof-of-concept evaluation of LKM as a clinical strategy warrants further investigation.

Cognitions as mediators in the relationship between self-compassion and affect.

Previous studies suggest that self-compassion is related to numerous facets of mental health, but the role of cognitions in this relationship remains unknown. To examine the mediating role of cognitions in the relationship between self-compassion and anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction when controlling for self-esteem in Japanese people, we conducted two studies. Study 1 (N = 231) examined the relationship between self-compassion and affect by modeling negative automatic thoughts as a mediator; Study 2 (N = 233) tested whether positive and negative automatic thoughts meditate this relationship. Results suggested that both self-compassion and self-esteem increased positive automatic thoughts and decreased trait anxiety, whereas only self-esteem increased life satisfaction and decreased depression directly. Positive automatic thoughts increased life satisfaction and decreased depression and trait anxiety, and positive automatic thoughts mediated the relationship between self-compassion and negative affect. These findings suggest that both positive and negative automatic thoughts mediate the relationship between self-compassion and affect in Japanese people.

[Development and validation of the Japanese version of the Self-Compassion Scale].

A Japanese version of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-J) was developed. In Survey 1, confirmatory factor analysis of data from 366 participants indicated that the SCS-J had an acceptable fit to the model, as well as good internal consistency, similar to the original. In Survey 2, a test-retest correlation of the SCS-J for 101 participants indicated good reliability for the scale. In Survey 3, 148 participants completed the SCS-J and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, the Subjective Happiness Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait form, and the Beck Depression Inventory. The partial correlations between the SCS-J and the other scales were analyzed, using self-esteem, or self-criticism as the control variables. The results demonstrated that self-compassion was associated with self-esteem and the mental health of the Japanese participants. These results indicate that the SCS-J has good reliability and validity as a measure of self-compassion.

[Revised generative concern scale and generative behavior checklist (GCS-R, GBC-R): scale reconstruction, reliability, and validity].

The generative concern scale (GCS) and the generative behavior checklist (GBC) based on the multifaceted model of generativity (McAdams & de St. Aubin, 1992) were reconstructed based on item analysis in preliminary research. The reconstructed scales were administered to 996 adults. Factor analysis of GCS-R and GBC-R data revealed the following three factors which showed high internal consistency: offering, maintaining, and creativity. Significant positive correlations between the GCS-R and the GBC-R implied that generative concern may lead to generative behavior. The GCS-R and GBC-R showed significant positive correlations with the Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory (Nakanishi & Sakata, 1993) and the Inventory of Psychosocial Balance (Domino & Affonso, 1990), which supports concurrent validity. Adults with higher scores on the GCS-R were more extroverted, open-minded to experiences, and the less depressive based on scores on the Big Five Scale (Wada, 1996) and the Beck Depression Inventory (Hayashi & Takimoto, 1991). These results indicate convergent and predictive validity.

[Guilt, shame/embarrassment, and empathy].

This study examined the relationship between empathic responsiveness and the proneness to 'zaiakukan' (guilt) and 'shuchishin' (shame and embarrassment). Two hundred and thirty five Japanese undergraduates completed a questionnaire of Situational Guilt Inventory (Arimitsu, 2002), Situational Shyness Questionnaire (Narita, Terasaki, & Niihama, 1990), and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis, 1983). As predicted, other-oriented empathic responsiveness, which measured perspective taking and empathetic concern, had a positive correlation with zaiakukan proneness, with shame and embarrassment controlled. On the other hand, self-oriented personal distress had a positive correlation with proneness to 'kihazukashisa', a component of shame and embarrassment, with guilt controlled. Inspection of correlations suggested that zaiakukan emerged from other-oriented empathy, and shuchishin in men from personal distress, because women's experience of shuchishin was less negative than men. Results on private shame were different from those in the previous studies (Leith & Baumeister, 1998; Tangney, 1991), and were discussed in terms of cultural differences.

[Structure of guilt eliciting situations in Japanese adolescents].

The aim of the present study was to specify guilt eliciting situations for Japanese adolescents, and examine the relationship between guilt-proneness in the situations and personality traits. With an open-ended questionnaire, 315 guilt experiences were collected and categorized into 37 situations. Situational Guilt Inventory (SGI) for the 37 was developed and administered to 500 Japanese adolescents. Factor analysis found four factors: hurting others, inconsiderate to others, acting selfishly, and debt feeling toward others. SGI scores had positive correlations with private and public self-consciousness and depression. However, correlations with the Big Five were low, none higher than .2, except those with conscientiousness. The factors were similar to those of Dimension of Conscience Questionnaire (DCQ; Gore & Harvey, 1995) and Situational Guilt Scale (SGS; Klass, 1987), except that they do not have the fourth: debt feeling. These results showed some characteristics of guilt among Japanese people, as well as reliability of the inventory.

[Examing varieties, the factor structure, and differentiations of the coping strategies of "agari" (stage fright) in its eliciting situations].

The present study reports coping strategies in 'agari' eliciting situations. 'Agari' is a Japanese noun (the verb form is 'agaru'), referring to broad experiences including 'stage-fright', 'choking under pressure' and 'social anxiety'. Based upon the self-reports of 426 subjects, a 84-item questionnaire on the coping strategies for 'agari' was constructed. Another 361 subjects completed the questionnaire, and a factor analysis of their responses revealed seven primary factors: "autosuggestion", "physical exercise", "image", "avoidance", "positive thinking", "easygoing tolerance", and "unrelated behavior". Furthermore, a higher-order factor analysis was carried out and revealed that "positive-negative" and "physical-cognitive" higher-order factors explained seven primary factors. Next, hierarchical cluster analysis was performed and the results divided twelve 'agari' situations into three clusters of situations: "competition", "presentation requiring preparation", and "impromptu presentation". The "physical exercise" strategies were used particularly in "competition" clusters. The other clusters were divided in the appraisals of whether they could prepare or not. It is suggested that the coping strategies for 'agari' depend upon the nature of 'agari' eliciting situations.