"If you are kind to me, I will thrive.”

Abstract

There is substantial evidence for the positive effects of compassion from others and selfcompassion on subjective well-being. Moreover, literature shows that individuals can learn how to be more self-compassionate by experiencing compassion from others. From a Self-Determination Theory perspective, basic need satisfaction could provide an explanatory mechanism that can relate concepts to well-being outcomes. Using a cross-sectional design, the present study examined whether compassion from others as well as self-compassion could be associated with subjective well-being and what the role of basic need satisfaction is within these relationships. Furthermore, the exact role of self-compassion within the relationship between compassion from others and basic need satisfaction was explored. 147 participants (54 men and 93 women) with an average age of M = 31.94 (SD = 14.42), completed the survey that consisted of three questionnaires (MHC-SF, BNSFS & CEAS). Correlation analyses showed a significant relation between compassion from others and subjective well-being (r = .33) and self-compassion and subjective well-being (r = .52). Results showed that basic need satisfaction plays a significant role within the mediation process of compassion from others and subjective well-being as well as the relationship between selfcompassion and subjective well-being. At last, a partial mediation process was found when selfcompassion was mediating the relation between compassion from others and basic need satisfaction. Causality cannot be proven, and the directions of the relationships remain unclear. Further research with a larger and more diverse sample is needed to study beyond the current results.