Self-Compassion and Body Dissatisfaction: A Philosophical Analysis

This essay, authored by Rutuja Dharne for an MA in Philosophy, investigates the relationship between self-compassion and body dissatisfaction in women. It begins by defining self-compassion and body dissatisfaction, highlighting their psychological implications. The study explores how societal factors, including patriarchal culture and social comparison, influence women's body image and eating behaviors. Through a comprehensive literature review and research methodology, the essay examines the connection between self-compassion, body image, and mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. The research objectives include measuring the impact of self-compassion on women's behavioral and eating attitudes, and analyzing the factors influencing self-compassion and body dissatisfaction. The study's findings, limitations, recommendations, and conclusion are presented, offering insights into the importance of self-compassion for women's well-being and body image. This study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the connection among body image, self compassion and the negative social comparison among women of all ages.

PHILOSOPHY
Self-Compassion And Body Dissatisfaction
Rutuja Dharne
MA Philosophy

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Abstract
Self compassion can positively impact the overall well-being of adolescents. Self-
compassion encompasses three main components which are self kindness, mindfulness and
common humanity. Body dissatisfaction can be illustrated as a negative evaluation of the body of
an individual that includes perceived discrepancy among the assessment of the individual
towards her real or actual body. The patriarchal culture in which we reside teaches females from
an early age, to safeguard and find value in their own bodies on the basis of an external view of
their worth. The low levels of acceptance of the concept of feminism among women, however,
indicate that it is necessary to deal with the underlying label stigma of body shaming and body
dissatisfaction. In this study, the connection between compassion for oneself and the picture of
women's bodies was further investigated. With the help of the scales in terms of societal factors,
the research study tries to find the connection among the effects of body dissatisfaction among
women. This study helped in exploring and understanding the connection among body image,
self compassion and the negative social comparison among women of all ages.

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – Introduction 6
Introduction 6
Background of the Study 7
Rationale of the study 8
Problem Statement 9
Research objectives 9
Research questions 10
Research hypothesis 10
Significance of the study 10
Structure of the research paper 11
Chapter 2 - Review of literature 14
Self-Compassion 14
Self compassion and adolescent development 16
The connection of social comparison towards body image dissatisfaction 18
Body Dissatisfaction, Gender and Social Comparisons 19
Position of Self esteem within body images 21
Gap in the literature 22
Chapter 3 – Research Methodology 24
Introduction 24
Outline of Research Method 24
Research Onion 25
Philosophy of research 26
Reason for the chosen philosophy of research 26
Approach of Research 27
Design of the research 27
Reason for the chosen design of research 27
Data collection method 28
Reason for chosen the Data Collection Method 28
Method of Sampling 28
Ethical problems: 29
Limitations of Research 29

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Time horizon 29
Summary 30
Chapter 4 - Findings and Discussion 31
Findings 31
Discussion 34
Chapter 5 - Limitations, Recommendations and Conclusion 39
Limitations 39
Recommendation 41
Conclusion 44
References 47

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Chapter 1 – Introduction
Introduction
The topic of the essay is Self Compassion and Body Dissatisfaction among women. The
term self-compassion is connected with major psychological well being that includes increased
level of optimism, happiness, connectedness and personal initiative together with a decreased
level of depression and anxiety. According to the research by Ferreira, Pinto-Gouveia and Duarte
(2013), self-compassion is comprised of communal humanity, self kindness and mindfulness.
There has been numerous studies that explore a connection among self compassion and the
overall well being of an individual and support the claim that self compassionate individuals are
generally psychological healthier than those individuals who lacks self-compassion in their life.
For instance, according to Homan & Tylka, (2015), self compassion is connected to
psychological strength such as emotional intelligence, curiosity, wisdom, happiness and personal
initiatives. The emotional regulatory strategy teaches’ individuals to accept themselves
irrespective of imperfections; self compassion on the other hand has a clear potential for
elevating the suffering associated with dissatisfaction of the body. Body dissatisfaction can be
illustrated as a negative evaluation of the body of an individual that includes perceived
discrepancy among the assessment of the individual towards her real or actual body. According
to the researchers, self-compassion might also decrease body shame; which is bad feeling that a
person has if social cultural standards of body are not being met. The study for this research
paper is to interpret Self Compassion and Body Dissatisfaction among women

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Background of the Study
According to Daye, Webb & Jafari, (2014) ,body shame and dissatisfaction regarding
one’s body is prevalent among the female population throughout the societies of the globe,
illustrating them in the name of normative discontent. It is found that women, commonly
irrespective of age, experience behavioural symptoms and serious cognitive impact that triggers
the body dissatisfaction level and these persist throughout their lifespan. Body shaming and
dissatisfaction regarding the body among women is the basic factor that develops consumption
habits. These are furthermore associated with high levels of anxiety and depression followed by
poor life quality, low rate of self-esteem, unhealthy schedules of behaviour and decrease level of
physical activity. As per the research by Liss & Erchull, (2015), individuals experiencing their
physical bodies as undesirable and an attractive resource for shaming themselves are then at the
risk of disorders and psychological distress. Self compassion has been likely to lessen the
dissatisfaction of the body within the female population for various reasons. Initially being
gentle, kind and understanding for oneself rather than being judgemental and taking the route
towards body dissatisfaction; the tendency for criticizing rather than accepting one’s body as it
is. The sense of the communal humanity that is entailed by the context of self compassion needs
to help females with the consideration of the physical appearance including the perspective that
mitigates the dissatisfaction of the body and the associated nature regarding the same of the
body. Self compassion has also been linked with less levels of dissatisfaction of body together
with social comfort and society and body shame with consciousness among women. Research
stated that women in the university and college level where found to have high levels of self
compassion and predicted to be less likely to have body or weight concerns (Braun, Park &
Gorin, 2016). Self compassion buffers the negative effects of the body dissatisfaction and

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shames of the body among women, and it might also enhance the likelihood that women
appreciate their bodies. Appreciation of the body refers to the extent towards which women
accept and respect their bodies irrespective of the shape, imperfections and weight together with
positive psychological strength that has been linked with life satisfaction and optimism. Research
also suggest that the context of self compassion has some of the essential implications for the
young adult and the adolescent experiences. University and the college level students and women
who have just started working experiences higher levels of self compassion and appear to handle
their academic and social struggles more effectively while experiencing lower levels of
depression in their life (Duarte et al., 2015). Furthermore higher levels of self compassion leads
to a reduced level of fear of failure and a greater boost of confidence towards general abilities as
compared to other women (Toole & Craighead, 2016). Some of the empirical findings indicate
that women who are actually more self compassionate tends to experience social connectedness
more often and less level of depression, anxiety and shame. The area in which the context of self
compassion among women prevails is specifically relevant in the age group of adolescence and
young adults actually concerns their use in social networking websites.
Rationale of the study
This research paper deals with the study of Self Compassion and Body Dissatisfaction in
Women. According to several researches, social media is an increasingly fundamental part of the
adolescent girl and young woman’s experience, and it offers girls or women the ability to create
and communicate with people by sharing information. Irrespective of the various benefits, the
negative outcomes that are associated with the use of social media will be highlighted in the
following sentences. Negative self comparison connected to body dissatisfaction has been one of
the most negative outcomes of the use of social media among the teenage girl and adolescent

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women. While the context of self esteem is contingent to all the success in some of the value
domain such as social approval and appearances; self compassion on the other hand serves as the
tool for the treatment of an individual in the times of failure. Dissatisfaction regarding one’s
body is one of the major challenge and source of mental stress among women. One of the most
significant potential factors that could mitigate the shame of body is self compassion which has a
strong connection and association with the psychological and mental health of an individual.
Problem Statement
This particular research study aims to investigate in a brief period of time, the impact of
self compassion over the satisfaction of body among a multi generational group of women of
various ages. Consistent with several calls for focusing over the positive image of the body, this
research study aims to explore whether the self compassion is connected to the body image of an
women together with their eating attitudes and behaviour while controlling for self esteem. This
particular study included findings and results of research studies related to women participants in
a random way and for the intervention. The study will compare the participants under the factors
of body shaming, body dissatisfaction and self worth based contingent over appearance together
with body appreciation as per the various reviewed statistics and data collected from peer
reviewed journals and news articles.
Research objectives
The research objectives of the current research study can be stated as follows
1. To find the relationship among self compassion and body image of women

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2. To measure the impact of self compassion over behavioural and eating attitudes of
women
3. To explore whether self-compassion is linked to controlled self esteem
4. To analyse the factors influencing self compassion and body dissatisfaction in women
Research questions
The research questions which are framed in order aims to achieve the entire set of objectives of
the research study. Research questions are thus as follows.
1. What is the relationship among self compassion and body image of women
2. How to measure the impact of self compassion over behavioural and eating attitudes of
women?
3. How to explore whether self-compassion is linked to controlled self esteem
4. What are the factors influencing self compassion and body dissatisfaction in women
Research hypothesis
H0 self compassion is connected to body dissatisfaction in women
H1 self compassion is not connected to body dissatisfaction in women.
Significance of the study

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This study will help in exploring and understanding the connection among body image, self
compassion and the negative social comparison among women of all ages. The main purpose of
this research study is to examine the relationship among women’s body image and their self
compassion under the measurement of self esteem.
Structure of the research paper
I have subdivided the entire research study into several of the chapters for a unique and a
better understanding of the entire structure of the research. This entire division can be
summarised as below.
STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH PAPER
Title of the Chapter Description of the Chapter
Chapter 1 Introduction The background of the research and the introduction of the
research study, which are followed by research questions
and objectives and reasons for what it will be of value to the
field of study, are covered in this chapter. The section
finishes with the growth of the research hypothesis and the
short overview of studies and structural trends.
Chapter 2 Review of Literature This section offers a comprehensive literature review of the
techniques of learning and entrepreneurship, and shows how
the theory and results of prior research article interconnect
and how study will solve this problem
Chapter 3 Research Methodology This section discusses the methods of information collection,
the objective of the study framework and the qualitative

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research. This study methodology will enable readers to
comprehend how the researchers have gathered information
and help to differentiate similarities and differences from
other research and the literary review.
Chapter 4 Key findings and
Discussion
This provides the study outcomes and helps the reader to see
what the outcomes were analysed. The discussion part will
analyse the importance of self compassion, the
interpretations of the findings from the measurement scales
regarding the effects of body shaming over the physical and
psychological health of women. This includes decreased self
confidence, increased level of depression, eating disorders
and more.
Chapter 5 Limitations,
Recommendation and
Conclusion
This includes the suggestions and findings from the studies
that will assist the reader to know how the suggestions can
help in future to demonstrate and clarify the study
constraints as well. This can assist to assist future scientists
to finish or expand their studies into the field of studies.