Real Talk: A brief digital intervention to increase self-kindness and body appreciation
Major
Psychology
Submission Type
Oral Presentation
Area of Study or Work
Psychology
Faculty Advisor
Marie Nebel-Schwalm
Location
CNS E103
Start Date
4-11-2026 8:30 AM
End Date
4-11-2026 9:30 AM
Abstract
We designed a brief digital intervention, called Real Talk, that aimed to help individuals affirm their values, address problematic societal standards, and learn about ways to enhance their body appreciation, body functionality (Alleva et al., 2015), and self-compassion. Body appreciation (i.e., holding a favorable attitude towards and being accepting of one's body; Linardon et al., 2022) is associated with increased self-compassion and emotional regulation, and fewer problematic outcomes such as anxiety, depressive symptoms, and eating restraint. Self-kindness, an element of self-compassion, refers to regarding oneself positively and in a nonjudgmental manner rather than engaging in self-criticism (Neff 2003), and it has been found to increase positive affect and reduce negative affect (Chafe & Mongrain 2024). Participants in the present study were randomly assigned to either the Real Talk program or a waitlist control group. The program was created based on evidence-based interventions (e.g., self-compassion and body functionality) and provides psychoeducation with opportunities to engage with the content. Participants received three notifications a day over a five-day period. Each notification contained information and brief activities that were designed to take 5-10 minutes. An excerpt from the content is the following: “Studies have shown that being your own ally and allowing yourself to be …kind to yourself will help improve your ability to deal with negativity and stress. A great way to envision this idea is by treating yourself in a similar way to how you would treat a close friend… Suppose you have a close friend who tells you they are dealing with distress regarding their body image. How might you respond?” This study aims to determine whether participants who were encouraged to consider alternative and more positive ways of evaluating themselves experienced increased levels of self-kindness and body appreciation.
Real Talk: A brief digital intervention to increase self-kindness and body appreciation
CNS E103
We designed a brief digital intervention, called Real Talk, that aimed to help individuals affirm their values, address problematic societal standards, and learn about ways to enhance their body appreciation, body functionality (Alleva et al., 2015), and self-compassion. Body appreciation (i.e., holding a favorable attitude towards and being accepting of one's body; Linardon et al., 2022) is associated with increased self-compassion and emotional regulation, and fewer problematic outcomes such as anxiety, depressive symptoms, and eating restraint. Self-kindness, an element of self-compassion, refers to regarding oneself positively and in a nonjudgmental manner rather than engaging in self-criticism (Neff 2003), and it has been found to increase positive affect and reduce negative affect (Chafe & Mongrain 2024). Participants in the present study were randomly assigned to either the Real Talk program or a waitlist control group. The program was created based on evidence-based interventions (e.g., self-compassion and body functionality) and provides psychoeducation with opportunities to engage with the content. Participants received three notifications a day over a five-day period. Each notification contained information and brief activities that were designed to take 5-10 minutes. An excerpt from the content is the following: “Studies have shown that being your own ally and allowing yourself to be …kind to yourself will help improve your ability to deal with negativity and stress. A great way to envision this idea is by treating yourself in a similar way to how you would treat a close friend… Suppose you have a close friend who tells you they are dealing with distress regarding their body image. How might you respond?” This study aims to determine whether participants who were encouraged to consider alternative and more positive ways of evaluating themselves experienced increased levels of self-kindness and body appreciation.