The Link Between Identity Processing Style and Compassionate Love: Are Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Key Components

This research examined the relationship between compatibility in identity processing styles (informational, normative, and diffuse-avoidant) and compassionate love in long-term married couples, as well as the mediating effects of mindfulness and self-compassion. Fifty heterosexual couples (N = 100; couples 35 and older) completed measures of identity style, compassionate love (for humanity, close others, and intimate partner), mindfulness, and self-compassion. Compatibility in couple level of the informational style alone was found to positively predict compassionate love for both humanity and close others. The level of couples' normative identity style was positively related to compassionate love for close others, while compatibility in level of the diffuse-avoidant style was negatively related to compassionate love for intimate partner. Hierarchical regressions revealed that only the informational style made a unique positive contribution to compassionate love for humanity, over and above mindfulness and self-compassion. Mindfulness and self-compassion were not found to be mediators of this relationship.