{"id":{"repo_id":"unr","oai_identifier":"oai:scholarwolf.unr.edu:11714/3104"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/unr/oai:scholarwolf.unr.edu:11714/3104","repository":{"repo_id":"unr","name":"University of Nevada - Reno","base_url":"https://scholarwolf.unr.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Decrease High-Prevalence Psychopathology by Targeting Self-Compassion: A Randomized Controlled Trial","abstract":"Self-compassion, that is treating oneself with kindness and understanding and without harsh judgment in difficult times, has been presented as an alternative to both self-criticism and self-esteem. It has been conceptualized by Kristin Neff to consist of self-kindness, mindfulness, and common humanity. Although a body of research shows the importance of self-compassion to psychological functioning, Neff's theory is not based on a basic science of behavior change and may therefore be limited in its utility to inform treatment development. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an acceptance-based behavioral treatment modality that is informed by a basic science of language and cognition called Relational Frame Theory (RFT). This dissertation offers an account of self-compassion based on RFT and seeks to test an ACT intervention for self-compassion based on this account. The intervention tested here was a 6-hour ACT workshop targeting self-compassion using a randomized, waitlist-controlled design. Participants were undergraduates in psychology classes at the University of Nevada, Reno. Among the 532 participants screened for low self-compassion and high general psychological distress, 73 participated in the RCT. Assessments were completed before and after the workshop as well as at 2-month follow-up. Active treatment was significantly superior to control in improvements in the following outcomes: general psychological distress, anxiety, several other psychological symptom dimensions, and positive affect. Active treatment also showed better improvements on the following process variables: self-compassion, psychological flexibility, self-criticism, self-as-context, and nonjudging of experience. Psychological flexibility was shown through mediational and other analyses to be a more powerful process of change than self-compassion.","abstract_html":"Self-compassion, that is treating oneself with kindness and understanding and without harsh judgment in difficult times, has been presented as an alternative to both self-criticism and self-esteem. It has been conceptualized by Kristin Neff to consist of self-kindness, mindfulness, and common humanity. Although a body of research shows the importance of self-compassion to psychological functioning, Neff's theory is not based on a basic science of behavior change and may therefore be limited in its utility to inform treatment development. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an acceptance-based behavioral treatment modality that is informed by a basic science of language and cognition called Relational Frame Theory (RFT). This dissertation offers an account of self-compassion based on RFT and seeks to test an ACT intervention for self-compassion based on this account. The intervention tested here was a 6-hour ACT workshop targeting self-compassion using a randomized, waitlist-controlled design. Participants were undergraduates in psychology classes at the University of Nevada, Reno. Among the 532 participants screened for low self-compassion and high general psychological distress, 73 participated in the RCT. Assessments were completed before and after the workshop as well as at 2-month follow-up. Active treatment was significantly superior to control in improvements in the following outcomes: general psychological distress, anxiety, several other psychological symptom dimensions, and positive affect. Active treatment also showed better improvements on the following process variables: self-compassion, psychological flexibility, self-criticism, self-as-context, and nonjudging of experience. Psychological flexibility was shown through mediational and other analyses to be a more powerful process of change than self-compassion.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Yadavaia, James E."],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":"Doctorate Degree","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Hayes, Steven C."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Follette, Victoria","Hazlett-Stevens, Holly","Kohlenberg, Barbara","Panorska, Anna"],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013","date_published":"2013","updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:46:52Z","subjects":["acceptance and commitment therapy","processes of change","psychological flexibility","self-compassion"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright(All Rights Reserved)"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11714/3104","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Hayes, Steven C."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Follette, Victoria","Hazlett-Stevens, Holly","Kohlenberg, Barbara","Panorska, Anna"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Yadavaia, James E."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2018-05-01T12:28:08Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2018-05-01T12:28:08Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2013"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctorate Degree"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["acceptance and commitment therapy","processes of change","psychological flexibility","self-compassion"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright(All Rights Reserved)"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11714/3104"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Self-compassion, that is treating oneself with kindness and understanding and without harsh judgment in difficult times, has been presented as an alternative to both self-criticism and self-esteem. It has been conceptualized by Kristin Neff to consist of self-kindness, mindfulness, and common humanity. Although a body of research shows the importance of self-compassion to psychological functioning, Neff's theory is not based on a basic science of behavior change and may therefore be limited in its utility to inform treatment development. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an acceptance-based behavioral treatment modality that is informed by a basic science of language and cognition called Relational Frame Theory (RFT). This dissertation offers an account of self-compassion based on RFT and seeks to test an ACT intervention for self-compassion based on this account. The intervention tested here was a 6-hour ACT workshop targeting self-compassion using a randomized, waitlist-controlled design. Participants were undergraduates in psychology classes at the University of Nevada, Reno. Among the 532 participants screened for low self-compassion and high general psychological distress, 73 participated in the RCT. Assessments were completed before and after the workshop as well as at 2-month follow-up. Active treatment was significantly superior to control in improvements in the following outcomes: general psychological distress, anxiety, several other psychological symptom dimensions, and positive affect. Active treatment also showed better improvements on the following process variables: self-compassion, psychological flexibility, self-criticism, self-as-context, and nonjudging of experience. Psychological flexibility was shown through mediational and other analyses to be a more powerful process of change than self-compassion."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["PDF"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Decrease High-Prevalence Psychopathology by Targeting Self-Compassion: A Randomized Controlled Trial"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Hayes, Steven C."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Follette, Victoria","Hazlett-Stevens, Holly","Kohlenberg, Barbara","Panorska, Anna"],"dc:creator":["Yadavaia, James E."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2018-05-01T12:28:08Z"],"dc:date.available":["2018-05-01T12:28:08Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2013"],"dc:description.abstract":["Self-compassion, that is treating oneself with kindness and understanding and without harsh judgment in difficult times, has been presented as an alternative to both self-criticism and self-esteem. It has been conceptualized by Kristin Neff to consist of self-kindness, mindfulness, and common humanity. Although a body of research shows the importance of self-compassion to psychological functioning, Neff's theory is not based on a basic science of behavior change and may therefore be limited in its utility to inform treatment development. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an acceptance-based behavioral treatment modality that is informed by a basic science of language and cognition called Relational Frame Theory (RFT). This dissertation offers an account of self-compassion based on RFT and seeks to test an ACT intervention for self-compassion based on this account. The intervention tested here was a 6-hour ACT workshop targeting self-compassion using a randomized, waitlist-controlled design. Participants were undergraduates in psychology classes at the University of Nevada, Reno. Among the 532 participants screened for low self-compassion and high general psychological distress, 73 participated in the RCT. Assessments were completed before and after the workshop as well as at 2-month follow-up. Active treatment was significantly superior to control in improvements in the following outcomes: general psychological distress, anxiety, several other psychological symptom dimensions, and positive affect. Active treatment also showed better improvements on the following process variables: self-compassion, psychological flexibility, self-criticism, self-as-context, and nonjudging of experience. Psychological flexibility was shown through mediational and other analyses to be a more powerful process of change than self-compassion."],"dc:format":["PDF"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11714/3104"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright(All Rights Reserved)"],"dc:subject":["acceptance and commitment therapy","processes of change","psychological flexibility","self-compassion"],"dc:title":["Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Decrease High-Prevalence Psychopathology by Targeting Self-Compassion: A Randomized Controlled Trial"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctorate Degree"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:46:52Z"}