Effect of a Short-Term Online Version of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Self-criticism and Self-compassion in a Nonclinical Sample

Our goal was to investigate the efficacy of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention (MBI) in the form of a short-term, online intervention using exercises from Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction program on self-compassion, self-reassurance and self-criticism in a non-clinical population. We conducted pre-, post- and two-month follow-up measures of self-compassion, self-reassurance and self-criticism. A total of 146 participants, recruited through convenience sampling, were randomly allocated to the intervention with daily exercises for consecutive 15 days and to a control condition with no treatment. The intervention group reported a significant reduction in self-criticism and self-uncompassionate responding with effects present at two-month follow-up. There was a short-term effect of the training on self-compassion with no effect present at the two-month follow-up and no significant effect on self-reassurance. A limitation of the study is that participants’ previous experience with meditation was not assessed, and thus the findings may be a result of previous meditation practice and not the intervention itself. Despite this limitation, the findings show that an online short-term MBI may be helpful in reducing selfcriticism in general population, but a larger study taking into account the limitations needs to be conducted to replicate this effect before recommendations for clinical practice can be made

Improvements in Compassion and Fears of Compassion throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multinational Study

During large-scale disasters, social support, caring behaviours, and compassion are shown to protect against poor mental health outcomes. This multi-national study aimed to assess the fluctuations in compassion over time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents (Time 1 n = 4156, Time 2 n = 980, Time 3 n = 825) from 23 countries completed online self-report questionnaires measuring the flows of compassion (i.e., Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales) and fears of compassion toward self and others and from others (i.e., Fears of Compassion Scales) and mental health at three time-points during a 10-month period. The results for the flows of compassion showed that self-compassion increased at Time 3. Compassion for others increased at Time 2 and 3 for the general population, but in contrast, it decreased in health professionals, possibly linked to burnout. Compassion from others did not change in Time 2, but it did increase significantly in Time 3. For fears of compassion, fears of self-compassion reduced over time, fears of compassion for others showed more variation, reducing for the general public but increasing for health professionals, whilst fears of compassion from others did not change over time. Health professionals, those with compassion training, older adults, and women showed greater flows of compassion and lower fears of compassion compared with the general population, those without compassion training, younger adults, and men. These findings highlight that, in a period of shared suffering, people from multiple countries and nationalities show a cumulative improvement in compassion and reduction in fears of compassion, suggesting that, when there is intense suffering, people become more compassionate to self and others and less afraid of, and resistant to, compassion

Contrasting Computational Models of Mate Preference Integration Across 45 Countries

Humans express a wide array of ideal mate preferences. Around the world, people desire romantic partners who are intelligent, healthy, kind, physically attractive, wealthy, and more. In order for these ideal preferences to guide the choice of actual romantic partners, human mating psychology must possess a means to integrate information across these many preference dimensions into summaries of the overall mate value of their potential mates. Here we explore the computational design of this mate preference integration process using a large sample of n = 14,487 people from 45 countries around the world. We combine this large cross-cultural sample with agent-based models to compare eight hypothesized models of human mating markets. Across cultures, people higher in mate value appear to experience greater power of choice on the mating market in that they set higher ideal standards, better fulfill their preferences in choice, and pair with higher mate value partners. Furthermore, we find that this cross-culturally universal pattern of mate choice is most consistent with a Euclidean model of mate preference integration.The work of Truong Thi Khanh Ha was supported by grants 501.01–2016.02 from the Vietnam National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED). Anna Oleszkiewicz was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (#626/STYP/12/2017). This study was conducted in line with project NIR No. 01201370995 “Cross-cultural and interdisciplinary researches. Biosocial and cross-cultural analysis of models of tolerance and basic values of culture in modern society” (Marina Butovskaya and Daria Dronova). Agnieszka Sorokowska and Piotr Sorokowski were supported by the National Science Center—Poland (2014/13/B/HS6/02644). Petra Gyuris, András Láng, and Norbert Meskó were supported by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund — OTKA (K125437). Feng Jiang was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China, grant No. 71971225

Validation of the French version of the Forms of Self‐Criticizing/Attacking and Self‐Reassuring Scale

International audienceAbstractBackgroundSelf‐criticism and self‐reassurance are internal processes of self‐to‐self relating that have received increasing attention in psychology. The Forms of Self‐Criticizing/Attacking and Self‐Reassuring Scale (FSCRS), which was first studied by Gilbert, Clarke, Hempel, Miles, and Irons, is a self‐report instrument that has been used in various populations and has shown satisfactory reliability. The goal of this work is to explore the psychometric properties of a French version of the scale in a large nonclinical sample.MethodData from 285 nonclinical participants were analysed.ResultsConfirmatory factor analysis indicated an acceptable to good fit of the FSCRS items to a three‐factor model. Good internal consistency and convergent validity were found.ConclusionsThe French validation results corroborate previous findings in a nonclinical population and confirm that the French version of the FSCRS is a robust and reliable instrument

Amine-modified ordered mesoporous silica: Effect of pore size on carbon dioxide capture

Three mesoporous silica materials with different pore sizes (33 angstrom for small pore size MCM-41; 38 angstrom for SBA-12; 71 angstrom for large pore size SBA-15) and pore connectivity (2D for MCM-41 and SBA-15-type materials: 3D for SBA-12 material) were prepared and functionalized with aminopropyl (AP) ligands by post-synthesis treatment. The materials were characterized by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and nitrogen adsorption/desorption experiments. The carbon dioxide sorption on modified mesoporous molecular sieves was investigated by using of microbalances at 25 C, and the influence of pore size and pore architecture on CO2 sorption was discussed. The large pore silica, SBA-15, showed the largest carbon dioxide sorption capacity (1.5 mmol/g), relating to highest amine surface density in this material. On the other hand, three-dimensional accessibility of amine sites inside the pores of SBA-12 silica resulted in a faster response to CO2 uptake in comparison with MCM-41 and SBA-15 molecular sieves. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserve