I have self-compassion so I feel sexy! Sexual satisfaction and self-compassion effects on self-esteem and body esteem

Dagna Kocur; Łukasz Jach; Magdalena Berek-Zamorska; Paulina Kamińska

doi:10.21697/sp.2023.23.1.01

Published: 2023-12-18

Vol. 23 No. 1 (2023)

I have self-compassion so I feel sexy! Sexual satisfaction and self-compassion effects on self-esteem and body esteem

Dagna Kocur

, Łukasz Jach

, Magdalena Berek-Zamorska

, Paulina Kamińska

Studia Psychologica: Theoria et praxis

Section: Empirical Articles

https://doi.org/10.21697/sp.2023.23.1.01

Abstract

Body esteem, self-esteem, and sexual satisfaction influence people’s well-being so it is important to look for psychological factors that may contribute to their improvement. However, men and women differ in the factors that affect their body esteem, self-esteem, and sexual satisfaction. We analyzed links between men’s and women’s self-esteem, body esteem, sexual satisfaction, and self-compassion. The research involved 716 heterosexual participants (365 men and 351 women). All measured variables correlated positively; however, some correlations were stronger among women than among men. Mediation analyses revealed that sexual satisfaction directly affected women's body esteem but did not directly affect men's body esteem. Self-compassion and sexual satisfaction explained more variance in self-esteem and body esteem among women than among men. We explained observed differences in the contexts of the self-perception theory and the objectification theory.

Keywords:

body esteem, self-esteem, self-compassion, sexual satisfaction

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Kocur, D., Jach, Łukasz, Berek-Zamorska, M., & Kamińska, P. (2023). I have self-compassion so I feel sexy! Sexual satisfaction and self-compassion effects on self-esteem and body esteem. Studia Psychologica: Theoria Et Praxis, 23(1), 4–14. https://doi.org/10.21697/sp.2023.23.1.01

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