The Effectiveness of Self-Compassion Training on Self-Control, Academic Procrastination, and Academic Self-Efficacy among Secondary School Students
Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of self-compassion training on self-control, academic procrastination, and academic self-efficacy among secondary school students in Tehran.
Methods and Materials: This study used a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group structure. The statistical population consisted of secondary school students in Tehran during the 2025–2026 academic year. Thirty students were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The experimental group received eight sessions of self-compassion training, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Brief Self-Control Scale, the Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students, and the Morgan-Jinks Student Efficacy Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of covariance.
Findings: The multivariate analysis of covariance showed a significant overall effect of self-compassion training on the combined dependent variables, Wilks’ Lambda = 0.29, F(3, 23) = 21.63, p = .001, partial η² = .71. Follow-up univariate analyses indicated that the intervention significantly increased self-control, F(1, 27) = 20.98, p = .001, partial η² = .45, and academic self-efficacy, F(1, 27) = 31.31, p = .001, partial η² = .54, and significantly decreased academic procrastination, F(1, 27) = 26.69, p = .001, partial η² = .50.
Conclusion: Self-compassion training appears to be an effective intervention for improving self-regulatory and academic outcomes in secondary school students. Incorporating self-compassion-based programs into school counseling and educational support services may promote students’ psychological well-being and academic functioning.
Downloads
Asgarian, F. S., Machekposhti, M. A., Mohammadi Zeidi, I., & Pakpour, A. H. (2020). Reliability and validity of Persian version of Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) in motorcyclists. International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 11, 1–7.
Bluth, K., & Eisenlohr-Moul, T. A. (2017). Response to a mindful self-compassion intervention in teens: A within-person association of mindfulness, self-compassion, and emotional well-being outcomes. Journal of Adolescence, 57, 108–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2017.04.001
Bluth, K., Mullarkey, M., & Lathren, C. (2018). Self-compassion: A potential path to adolescent resilience and positive exploration. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27, 3037–3047. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1125-1
Honicke, T., & Broadbent, J. (2016). The influence of academic self-efficacy on academic performance: A systematic review. Educational Research Review, 17, 63–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2015.11.002
Jinks, J., & Morgan, V. (1999). Children’s perceived academic self-efficacy: An inventory scale. The Clearing House, 72(4), 224–230. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098659909599398
Leary, M. R., Tate, E. B., Adams, C. E., Allen, A. B., & Hancock, J. (2007). Self-compassion and reactions to unpleasant self-relevant events: The implications of treating oneself kindly. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(5), 887–904.
Liao, K. Y.-H., Stead, G. B., & Liao, C.-Y. (2021). A meta-analysis of the relation between self-compassion and self-efficacy. Mindfulness, 12(8), 1878–1891. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01626-4
Manapat, P. D., Edwards, M. C., MacKinnon, D. P., Poldrack, R. A., & Marsch, L. A. (2020). A psychometric analysis of the Brief Self-Control Scale. Assessment, 28(2), 395–412.
Manavipour, D., & Saeedian, Y. (2016). The role of self-compassion and control belief about learning in university students’ self-efficacy. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 5(2), 121–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2016.02.003
Marsh, I. C., Chan, S. W. Y., & MacBeth, A. (2018). Self-compassion and psychological distress in adolescents—A meta-analysis. Mindfulness, 9, 1011–1027.
Mortazavi, F., Mortazavi, S. S., & Khosrorad, R. (2015). Psychometric properties of the Procrastination Assessment Scale–Student (PASS) in a student sample of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences. *Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, 17(9), e28328. https://doi.org/10.5812/ircmj.28328
Neff, K. D. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. *Self and Identity, 2(2), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309032
Neff, K. D. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2(2), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309032
Neff, K. D. (2023). Self-compassion: Theory, method, research, and intervention. Annual Review of Psychology, 74, 193–218.
O’Driscoll, D., Lambe, L., O’Connor, C., & McHugh, L. (2023). The protective role of self-compassion on test anxiety among adolescents. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 28(1), 49–63.
Solomon, L. J., & Rothblum, E. D. (1984). Academic procrastination: Frequency and cognitive-behavioral correlates. *Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31(4), 503–509. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.31.4.503
Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65
Zhang, Y., Luo, X., Che, X., Duan, W., & Wang, X. (2016). Protective effect of self-compassion to emotional response among students with chronic academic stress. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1802.
Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2
Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
