A relação entre autocompaixão e resolução de conflito romântico: um estudo exploratório

Abstract

Introduction. The romantic relationship is a space that demands conflict management as the encounter with the other shows parts of oneself with which it can be difficult to deal with. In this direction, self-compassion, a construct of Positive Psychology, presents itself as a phenomenon that can help people to solve conjugal and/or romantic conflicts, as it helps them to deal with their conflicts in a more proactive way and to consider their problems as important as other people's. Objectives. This dissertation aimed to investigate the relationship between self-compassion and romantic conflict resolution factors; as well as, to ascertain whether there is a relationship between the positive elements of self-compassion and adaptive conflict resolution factors; and to investigate how the negative components of self-compassion and non-adaptive conflict resolution factors relate. To meet these objectives, a theoretical framework and two studies that compose this dissertation were written, namely:

the Theoretical Reference chapter presents theoretical articulations between the self- compassion and romantic conflict resolution constructs; the Study I deals with a systematic

review of the literature on the interface between self-compassion and romantic relationships, and Study II concerns empirical research that set out to conduct statistical analyses that would indicate the relationship between self-compassion and romantic conflict resolution factors. Method. In Study I, a systematic literature review was conducted on self-compassion and conflict resolution, highlighting the theoretical articulations between the constructs. To do so, searches were made in the following databases: Scopus, PsycInfo (APA), Web of Science,

BVS, Portal de Periódicos CAPES, INDEXPSI and PEPsic, using the descriptors "self- compassion" and "romantic relationship" and "self-compassion" and "romantic relationship",

without having delimited the time frame of the publications to search for the findings. In Study II, an empirical survey was conducted with the participation of 306 men and women, with a mean age of 34 years (SD =9.19), who had been in a romantic relationship for at least six months. They answered the following instruments Self-Compassion Scale and the Romantic Conflict Resolution Strategies Scale, in addition to sociodemographic questions. Pearson's r Correlation and Regression were performed for data analysis. Results. As for the

systematic literature review, 13 publications were selected regarding the interface self- compassion and romantic relationships which point to a scenario of incipient scientific

production for the researched theme and from which we could identify thematic categories, among which we could highlight "satisfaction in the relationship", "conflict management in

the relationship", "gender" and "clinical practice". Statistical analyses showed that self- compassion has a statistically significant relationship with conflict resolution factors,

especially with adaptive ones, suggesting that self-compassionate behavior can help people adopt adaptive conflict resolution strategies. The results presented contribute to broaden the discussion around studies investigating the use of self-compassionate practice in the context of romantic relationships, more precisely with regard to conflict resolution between couples. In this sense, it is hoped that these results will broaden the understanding about marital dynamics and contribute as a facilitating tool for professionals in the construction of therapeutic strategies in favor of individuals and couples.