In this study, researchers are trying to understand how different ways of dealing with **shame** and **self-criticism** can help people feel better. Shame is the feeling of being embarrassed or bad about something, and self-criticism is when someone is really hard on themselves. Volunteers will take part in a 10-15 minute online session. There are three types of sessions: a **compassion-based** one where you focus on being kind to yourself, a **logic-based** one which involves thinking clearly about your feelings, and a **placebo** one where you listen to a story. **Key Points:** - **Length:** The intervention session is brief, lasting only 10-15 minutes. - **Participation:** Participants will be randomly placed into one of three sessions after some initial questionnaires. - **Eligibility:** Participants must be 18-64 years old, understand English, and be able to listen to audio clips. This study is important because it can help find better ways to support people who feel bad about themselves. **HTML Tags:**

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the momentary effects of a one-session intervention (compassion-based, logic-based, or placebo control) on individuals with high or low trait self-criticism. The main questions it aims to answer are:

After a momentary shame induction, will a compassion-based intervention and a logic-based intervention both be more beneficial than a placebo control condition in terms of therapeutic outcomes?

Will the compassion-based intervention most effectively increase soothing affect, state self-compassion, and state self-reassurance?

Will the effects of these two interventions (1) differ as a function of the individual's trait self-criticism, and (2) will this be due to differing indirect effects of the intervention on safe/soothed feelings based on trait self-criticism?

Participants will first complete a set of baseline measures. Two to seven days later, they will be randomly assigned to one of three study conditions (i.e., compassion-based, logic-based, placebo control) after a brief shame induction. Participants will be asked to complete a set of questionnaires both before and after the shame induction as well as post-intervention.

This research will help us understand how best to intervene with the shame and self-criticism.