Self-other compassion disparities in evaluations of disordered eating behaviors

Self-compassion has emerged as an effective framework for regulating the emotions underlying disordered eating. Yet little research has examined the barriers individuals face when extending compassion to themselves, particularly in subclinical populations at risk for disordered eating. Across three experiments, we investigated self-other differences in compassion and guilt in response to restrictive eating behaviors. In Study 1, participants (N = 103) evaluated restrictive eating behaviors enacted either by themselves or by a friend. Results revealed a robust self-friend discrepancy: participants judged themselves more harshly, reporting greater guilt (p < .001, d = 2.37) and lower compassion (p < .001, d = -0.96) than when evaluating a friend. Study 2 (N = 90) tested whether linguistic framing, such as labeling restriction as "intermittent fasting," attenuated this effect. No significant differences emerged (ps > .31), suggesting the discrepancy was driven by emotional rather than terminological factors. Study 3 (N = 115) extended this paradigm to binge eating, again finding heightened guilt (p < .001, d = 1.08) and reduced self-compassion (p < .001, d = -0.93) in the self-condition relative to the friend condition. Across contexts, individuals consistently withheld compassion from themselves despite offering it to others under identical circumstances. These findings highlight a persistent self-other compassion gap in eating behaviors and suggest that interventions should prioritize strategies to overcome emotional barriers to self-directed compassion.