scholarly journals When ‘negativity’ becomes obstructive: a novel exploration of the two-factor model of the Self-Compassion Scale and a comparison of self-compassion and self-criticism interventions

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-300
Author(s):  
Michail Mantzios ◽  
Anastasija Koneva ◽  
Helen Egan
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. s238-s238 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Bento ◽  
S. Xavier ◽  
J. Azevedo ◽  
M. Marques ◽  
V. Freitas ◽  
...  

IntroductionIn recent years, researchers and clinicians have shown an increasing interest in self-compassion. Indeed, several studies have suggested that self-compassion is a positive factor for mental and physical health. The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003) has been widely used to assess six dimensions of self-compassion (self-kindness, self-judgment, common humanity, isolation, mindfulness and over-identification) among diverse populations. Recently, it has also been used in perinatal samples but its psychometric properties in pregnant women is still unexplored.ObjectiveThis study aims was to investigate the reliability and the validity of the SCS using Confirmatory Factor Analysis in a sample of Portuguese pregnant women.MethodsParticipants were 417 pregnant women with a mean age of 33 years old (SD = 4.74) in their second trimester of pregnancy (M = 17.26, SD = 4.78, weeks of gestation). Participants completed the Portuguese version of the SCS while waiting for the routine prenatal consultation in Maternity Hospital, Portugal.ResultsA was tested and results showed that the six-factor model had a good fit to the data (TLI = 0.93, CFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.06). The total SCS presented a good internal reliability (α = 0.91) and their subscales showed Cronbach's alphas ranging between adequate (α = 0.77) and good (α = 0.87).ConclusionsOverall, these findings suggest that the Portuguese version of the SCS is a valid and reliable measure to assess self-compassion among pregnant women. Thus, SCS could be useful in diverse settings in the perinatal period.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


Psihologija ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nika Ursic ◽  
Dasa Kocjancic ◽  
Gregor Zvelc

The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) is a widely used instrument for measuring selfcompassion. In this study we examined psychometric properties of the SCS long and short form in a Slovenian community sample (N = 442). The total score reliability was satisfactory both in the long form (? = .91) and short form (? = .81). The reliability of subscales in the long form was between .66 and .84, and relatively low in the short form (from .45 to .72). We performed a confirmatory factor analysis and examined a one factor, a two factor a six-factor correlated model, a higher order model, and a bi-factor model. The six-factor and bi-factor models showed the best fit for the SCS-LF, and the six-factor model was the only acceptable fit for the SCS-SF. The correlation between the long and the short form is very high (r = .96). The SCS correlates in a predictable way with satisfaction with life, well-being, and attachment styles. We concluded that Slovenian versions of both the long and the short form of the SCS have generally from acceptable to good psychometric properties. Results supported the use of both the total score and subscale scores of SCS-LF. The short version of the SCS can be used as a good and economical alternative when the aim is to use the total score.


2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Kandler ◽  
Stefan Pfattheicher ◽  
Mattis Geiger ◽  
Johanna Hartung ◽  
Selina Weiss ◽  
...  

Research on self–compassion, which is defined as being understanding and kind to oneself when confronted with negative experiences, has produced an impressive number of articles in recent years. This research shows that individual differences in self–compassion, as measured by the Self–Compassion Scale (SCS), are positively related to life satisfaction, health and social functioning. However, a critical and systematic test of self–compassion from a personality perspective has not yet conducted so far. In the present study ( N = 576), we (i) tested the factor structure of the SCS, (ii) examined the distinctiveness of self–compassion with regard to the five–factor model of personality, focusing on neuroticism, and (iii) tested the incremental predictive power of self–compassion beyond the five–factor model in the context of life satisfaction. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a two–factor plus six facets solution of self–compassion (a positive factor and a negative factor). Additional analyses revealed that the negative factor was redundant with facets of neuroticism ( rs ≥ .85), whereas the positive factor had some unique variance left. However, neither the negative factor nor the positive factor could explain substantial incremental variance in life satisfaction beyond neuroticism. Recommendations for how to use the SCS are provided, and the future of research on self–compassion is discussed. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Personality Psychology


Author(s):  
Noelle J. Strickland ◽  
Raquel Nogueira-Arjona ◽  
Sean Mackinnon ◽  
Christine Wekerle ◽  
Sherry H. Stewart

Abstract. Self-compassion is associated with greater well-being and lower psychopathology. There are mixed findings regarding the factor structure and scoring of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). Using confirmatory factor analysis, we tested and conducted nested comparisons of six previously posited factor structures of the SCS. Participants were N = 1,158 Canadian undergraduates (72.8% women, 26.6% men, 0.6% non-binary; Mage = 19.0 years, SD = 2.3). Results best supported a two-factor hierarchical model with six lower-order factors. A general self-compassion factor was not supported at the higher- or lower-order levels; thus, a single total score is not recommended. Given the hierarchical structure, researchers are encouraged to use structural equation models of the SCS with two latent variables: self-caring and self-coldness. A strength of this study is the large sample, while the undergraduate sample may limit generalizability.


Assessment ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
István Tóth-Király ◽  
Kristin D. Neff

The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) is a widely used measure to assess the trait of self-compassion, and, so far, it has been implicitly assumed that it functions the same way across different groups. This assumption needs to be explicitly tested to ascertain that no measurement biases exist. To address this issue, the present study sought to systematically examine the generalizability of the bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling operationalization of the SCS via tests of measurement invariance across a wide range of populations, varying according to features such as student or community status, gender, age, and language. Secondary data were used for this purpose and included a total of 18 samples and 12 different languages ( N = 10,997). Multigroup analyses revealed evidence for the configural, weak, strong, strict, and latent variance–covariance of the bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling operationalization of the SCS across different groups. These findings suggest that the SCS provides an assessment of self-compassion that is psychometrically equivalent across groups. However, findings comparing latent mean invariance found that levels of self-compassion differed across groups.


2020 ◽  
pp. 003329412095724
Author(s):  
Abby Howes ◽  
Gareth Richards ◽  
John Galvin

Self-compassion refers to the extension of kindness to oneself when faced with feelings of inadequacies, shortcomings or failures. It is possible that individuals high in autistic traits may encounter difficulties with self-compassion, and this could be particularly pronounced due to the social challenges they might face. To explore this potential relationship, we recruited university students and members of the general population to an online survey (n = 176). Participants completed measures on demographics, autistic traits, and self-compassion. We found that autistic traits were indeed negatively correlated with self-compassion in both males and females. Interestingly, a comparison of the slopes showed significantly stronger relationships in males compared to females for the negative (but not the positive) subscales of the self-compassion scale. Although speculative at this point, it is possible that self-compassion acts as a mediator between autistic traits and psychopathology. With this in mind, further work is warranted to determine whether self-compassion could be a target for therapeutic intervention.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. s268-s268 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Marques ◽  
A.T. Pereira ◽  
V. Freitas ◽  
E. Bento ◽  
J. Azevedo ◽  
...  

IntroductionMindfulness based programs during pregnancy (some including self-compassion components) increase self-compassion, mindfulness and maternal self-efficacy, and reduce anxiety, stress and psychological distress in pregnant women. According to our knowledge, there are no studies about the association between self-compassion and sleep outcomes in pregnancy.ObjectiveTo explore differences in self-compassion, between three sleep groups, in a sample of Portuguese pregnant women.MethodsFour hundred and nineteen pregnant women (mean age: 32.51 ± 4.759; weeks of gestation: 17.32 ± 4.803) completed the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS, Bento et al., 2015), presenting six dimensions (self-kindness, self-judgment, common humanity, isolation, mindfulness and over-identification) and the Insomnia Assessment Scale (Marques et al., 2015). Three sleep groups were formed: good sleepers (no insomnia symptoms; no associated daily impairment); insomnia symptoms groups (one/more insomnia symptoms; no associated daily impairment); insomniacs (one/more insomnia symptoms; daily associated impairment).ResultsThere were significant differences in the total SCS, self-judgment, isolation and over-identification scores, between sleep groups [respectively, F (2,396) = 7,926, P ≤ 0,001; F (2,409) = 19,155, P ≤ 0,001; F (2,410) = 13,016, P ≤ 0,001; F (2,412) = 11,258, P ≤ 0,001]. Self-judgement, isolation and over-identification scores of good sleepers and insomnia symptoms group were higher than of insomniacs. Total SCS score of good sleepers was higher than of insomniacs and the same score of symptoms of insomnia group was also higher than of insomniacs.ConclusionsResults seem to show the importance of developing self-compassion to improve sleep in pregnancy or reduce the impact of insomnia symptoms (common at pregnancy).Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


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