Thesis Format
Integrated Article
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Program
Psychology
Supervisor
Calogero, Rachel M.
2nd Supervisor
Pila, Eva
Co-Supervisor
Abstract
Physical activity behaviour is strongly associated with mental and physical health benefits, yet women consistently report lower levels of engagement and enjoyment in physical activity compared to men. Gendered experiences of distress within physical activity may be one reason for this gender disparity. The motivation to respond in self-compassionate ways may represent one potential strategy that women can use to navigate distress in physical activity. Self-compassionate responding may offer an alternative paradigm for sustaining physical activity engagement in women and reducing this longstanding gender disparity. The overarching aim of this dissertation was to conduct three studies exploring the novel construct of compassionate self-responding in physical activity in terms of its measurement, characteristics, and links to physical activity behaviour among women. In Study 1, I piloted, developed, and evaluated a measure for compassionate self-responding in physical activity and tested a conceptual path model linking psychosocial factors to women’s physical activity behaviour through compassionate self-responding. In Study 2, I conducted a reflexive thematic analysis with women who practiced self-compassion in physical activity to better understand gendered sources of distress in physical activity and motivational frameworks of self-compassion in this context. In Study 3, I examined within-person associations between gendered sources of distress (e.g., body comparisons, self-objectification) and compassionate self-responding in physical activity, and between compassionate self-responding in physical activity and physical activity behaviour in women using a daily diary approach. Findings across the studies revealed that certain gendered psychosocial factors were indirectly linked to physical activity behaviour through compassionate self-responding among women (Study 1), that compassionate self-responding in physical activity may have unique qualities that are distinct from general self-compassion (Study 2), and that although there was intra-individual variation in compassionate self-responding, these fluctuations were not linked to women’s physical activity behaviour at the within-person level (Study 3). Individuals reported distinct patterns in the relationship between compassionate self-responding and physical activity behaviour (Study 3). Taken together, results suggest that motivational and socio-contextual applications of self-compassion in physical activity warrant further investigation. Additionally, women’s compassionate self-responding in physical activity may have distinct trait- and state-like properties and may vary across situations and individuals.
Summary for Lay Audience
Regular participation in physical activity is important for overall health. However, longstanding statistics demonstrate that women report lower levels of enjoyment and participation in physical activity compared to men. One reason for this gender difference may be that women experience more stressors and negative feelings in their physical activity compared to men, which leads them to avoid engaging in physical activity or engage in it in a dysfunctional manner. Women’s stressors and negative feelings in physical activity may be related to harmful, gendered experiences (e.g., poor body image, sexual harassment, objectification, lack of safety) and/or related to the physical activity context more generally (e.g., low motivation, not meeting goals). Self-compassion, a positive way of coping with negative feelings more generally, may be one method for women to manage and combat these stressors and negative feelings, but little research has explored how self-compassion can be practiced in the context of physical activity for women. As such, I conducted three studies to investigate a novel construct, compassionate self-responding in physical activity, and explore how it can be measured, cultivated, and practiced in ways that promote women’s physical activity engagement. In Study 1, I found that more bodily attunement and compassion and less body-based social comparisons were more strongly related to women’s compassionate self-responding in physical activity and subsequent physical activity engagement. In Study 2, I interviewed women about their practice of self-compassion in physical activity and identified novel aspects of compassionate self-responding in physical activity not captured by existing measures and theory. In Study 3, I explored how compassionate self-responding in physical activity unfolds at the daily level for women to impact their physical activity behaviour and found that responding compassionately in physical activity is linked to more physical activity in only some, but not all, individuals. Instead, individual differences in women’s experiences and interpretations of their negative feelings, and other individual-level factors, may be more relevant for the practice of compassionate self-responding in physical activity. Overall, these studies provide new insights on compassionate self-responding in the context of physical activity and advance the field’s understanding of how self-compassion can differ across situations, contexts, and persons.
Recommended Citation
Huellemann, Katarina, "Measuring, Characterizing, and Investigating the Novel Construct of Compassionate Self-Responding in Physical Activity in Women" (2024). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 10273.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/10273