Self-compassion Buffers Impaired Decision-Making by Potential Problem Gamblers in a Casino Setting.

Self-compassionate individuals treat themselves kindly when undergoing stress. The present study examined self-compassion's relationship to risky decision-making on a gambling task by 240 problem and non-problem gamblers who were tested in a casino setting. Multi-level modeling analyses showed that participants expressed differential rates of learning to avoid risks on the gambling task, depending on their status as potential problem/non-problem gamblers and their level of self-compassion.