Kristin Neff
Associate Professor
Area II: Human Development & Culture
Homepage:
http://www.self-compassion.org
Office: SZB 506D
Phone: (512) 471-0382
Fax: (512) 471-1288
E-Mail: kristin.neff@mail.utexas.edu
Office Hours:
Wednesday: 11-12
Or by appointment
Courses
EDP 363M Adolescent Development
EDP 386N Self in Relation to Other
Spring 2009
Spring 2008 Fall 2008
Spring 2007 Fall 2007
Spring 2006 Summer 2006 Fall 2006
Spring 2005 Summer 2005 Fall 2005
Spring 2004 Fall 2004
Spring 2003 Fall 2003
Mailing Address:
The University of Texas at Austin
Educ Psychol Dept
1 University Station D5800
Austin, TX 78712-1294
UT Mail Code: D5800
Profile:
My research interests center on the development of reasoning about self and other, including moral development and self-concept development. I am also interested in gender and cultural issues in social development, and the role that power inequality plays in balancing concerns with self and other. Finally, I have been researching the psychological health benefits of self-compassion, and have developed a scale to measure the construct. Self-compassion is a concept borrowed from Buddhist psychology, and entails self-kindness, feelings of interconnectedness, and mindfulness.
Terminal Degree
University of California at Berkeley PhD 1997 Education
University of California at Berkeley MA 1992 Education
University of California at Los Angeles BA 1988 Communications
Representative Publications
Link to publications: https://webspace.utexas.edu/neffk/pubs/listofpublications.htm
Neff, K. D. (2001). Judgements of personal autonomy and interpersonal responsibility in the context of Indian spousal relationships: An examination of young people’s reasoning in Mysore, India. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 19, 233-257.
Neff, K. D. & Harter, S. (2002). The authenticity of conflict resolutions among adult couples: Does women's other-oriented behavior reflect their true selves? Sex Roles, 47, 403-417.
Neff, K. D. (2003). Development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2, 223-250.
Neff, K. D. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2, 85-102.
Neff, K. D. & Harter, S. (2003). Relationship styles of self-focused autonomy, other-focused connectedness, and mutuality across multiple relationship contexts.Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 20, 81-99.
Recent Awards
- Awarded a Research Grant for from the University of Texas at Austin (Fall 2003) for the study “The Psychological Correlates of Self-Compassion among Adolescents.”
- Awarded a Special Research Grant from the University of Texas at Austin (Fall 2002) for the study “Exploring Relationship Styles and Mental Health among Hispanic Couples.”
- Awarded a Summer Research Grant (Summer 2002) from the University of Texas at Austin for the study “Children’s Perceptions of Gender Inequality.”
- Awarded a Special Research Grant from the University of Texas at Austin (Fall 2001) for the study “The Psychological Correlates of Self-Compassion.”
Boards, Committees and Associations
- Board of Directors for the Jean Piaget Society, June 2004 - June 2007.
- Member, Jean Piaget Society
- Member, International Society for Self and Identity
- Member, Society for Research in Child Development
- Member, Society for Personality and Social Psychology
Current Research Projects and Grants
The role of self-compassion in facilitating positive interactions within romantic relationships.
Self-compassion among adolescents
Areas of convergence and divergence between self-compassion and self-esteem.
Research Interests and Expertise
After my doctoral training in the area of moral development and my postdoctoral training in the area of self-concept development, my research has focused on a few key topics. First, I am interested in the way that variables of gender, culture and power impact concerns with self and other, and have researched this topic in terms of moral judgments, self-concepts, and relationship interactions of males and females in different cultural settings. Second, I am interested in reasoning about gender inequality, and have conducted research on perceptions of gender inequality among children and adolescents. My interest in self-concepts has also led to a third line of inquiry – the definition and measurement of a new self-attitude construct termed “self-compassion,” in which concerns with self and other are integrated.
Self-compassion involves granting emotional warmth and kindness to oneself when one is experiencing suffering, adopting an understanding, nonjudgmental attitude toward one’s own inadequacies and failures, and recognizing that one's experience is part of shared human experience. I have developed a scale to measure self-compassion and have conducted several research studies indicating that self-compassion is strongly linked to mental health. Self-compassion has recently become the dominant focus of my research career. While most of my work so far has been done using the Self-Compassion Scale, I plan to soon start conducting research using other methodologies such as experimental manipulations of self-compassion. There is also great potential for developing self-compassion interventions relevant for clinical populations. Another goal is to develop school-based interventions with adolescents, as I believe that self-compassion is especially needed but especially lacking during this time of life.
Full Vita (download)
Last Updated : 2009-01-16 19:30:16
