Forms of Self-Criticising/Attacking & Self-Reassuring Scale: Psychometric properties and normative study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• The Forms of Self-Criticising/Attacking & Self-Reassuring Scale (FSCRS) is an established self-report measure.
• Previous research indicates good reliability and broad applicability across diverse populations.
• The current study aimed to validate the FSCRS psychometric properties in a large, mixed sample.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the psychometric properties of the FSCRS in a large clinical and non-clinical sample.
• To establish the reliability of the FSCRS.
• To provide normative data for the FSCRS for the first time.

Main Methods:

• Data were collected from 12 studies, including 887 non-clinical participants and 167 patients with mixed diagnoses.
• Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the scale's factor structure.
• The FSCRS was administered to all participants.

Main Results:

• Confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor model for the FSCRS in both clinical and non-clinical groups.
• Normative data for the FSCRS are presented.
• Non-clinical individuals reported higher self-reassurance and lower self-criticism than clinical individuals. Men in the non-clinical group were more self-reassuring and less self-critical than women; no significant gender differences were found in the clinical group.

Conclusions:

• The FSCRS is a robust and reliable instrument for assessing self-criticism and self-reassurance.
• Findings reinforce the association between self-criticism and clinical populations, highlighting its importance in therapeutic interventions.
• The provided normative data enhance the interpretability of FSCRS results for clinicians and researchers.