The Development and Validation of the Compassion Scale.

Area of Science:

• Psychological Measurement
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Self-compassion research has advanced, but a comprehensive measure for compassion towards others is lacking.
• Neff's theoretical model provides a foundation for understanding compassion as distinct from self-compassion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Compassion Scale (CS) as a reliable and valid measure of compassion for others.
• To operationalize compassion through kindness, common humanity, mindfulness, and reduced indifference to suffering.

Main Methods:

• Scale development involved item generation and selection using bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM).
• Validation included cross-validation in student and community samples, test-retest reliability assessment, and known-groups validity.
• Diverse samples were utilized, including students, general community members, and meditators.

Main Results:

• The final 16-item Compassion Scale (CS) demonstrated strong internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
• Evidence supported the CS's discriminant, convergent, construct, and known-groups validity.
• The scale's structure and psychometric properties were replicated across multiple studies and diverse populations.

Conclusions:

• The Compassion Scale (CS) is a psychometrically sound measure for assessing compassion towards others.
• The CS provides a valuable tool for researchers and clinicians studying compassion in various contexts.
• Findings support the multidimensional nature of compassion for others, aligning with theoretical models.