The moderating effect of self-compassion on relationships between performance and subsequent coping and motivation

In this investigation, self-compassion was examined as a potential moderator of relationships between athletes' subjective appraisals of performance and coping or motivational outcomes after a performance episode. Data were obtained online from competitive swimmers (N = 121, M-age = 15.53, SDage = 2.23). Significant moderation effects were observed in the prediction of post episode task-oriented coping and self-determined motivation. Self-compassion was the only significant predictor of post episode disengagement-oriented coping and trended toward being the only significant predictor of post episode externally-regulated motivation. These findings suggest that there is potential value in developing self-compassion among athletes in performance-based sport.