On the Structure of Self-Compassion: A Meta-Analytic Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Self-Compassion Scale

There has been much debate relating to the factor structure of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), and failure to reach a consensus has the potential to hold the field back from moving forward. Therefore, the aim of this study was to synthesize the factor structure of the SCS from diverse samples using meta-analytic structural equation modeling. Original research studies reporting on the factor structure of the SCS were identified by searching three online databases. The individual item correlation coefficient matrix was extracted from each of the included studies. Two-stage meta-analytic structural equation modeling was used to examine the dimensionality of the SCS by aggregating data across the original research studies. A total of 27 unique studies were included in the meta-analytic structural equation model. Results demonstrated that, after accounting for participant acquiescent response style, a bifactor structure with six specific factors and a single global general factor fit the data the best. These results suggest that self-compassion is a bipolar construct ranging from being entirely uncompassionate to oneself to entirely compassionate to oneself. Implications of these findings on assessment and reporting are discussed.