Self-Compassion and Chronic Pain: A Literature Review

This assignment requires a literature review exploring the connection between self-compassion and chronic pain management. Students need to examine and synthesize existing research on this topic, drawing from provided sources and potentially additional academic literature.

Running header: 26 item Self-Compassion scale 1
A validity and reliability of 26 item Self-Compassion scale
Student’s name
University

26 item Self-Compassion scale 2
Abstract
The Self-Compassion scale was developed to allow measurement of Self-Compassion among
practitioners in the field. The tool has been widely used in many countries with some countries
designing their own tool based on the 26 item scale. The scale has been modified in one way or
the other but it is still the only tool available for measuring compassion. Some researchers have
criticized the tool arguing that it lacks validity and fails to give some results while others suggest
that the tool gives results which are similar to other tests like self-esteem. However, those who
support the tool suggest that it has passed a validity tests due to consistency in the results that
have been gathered using. Therefore, researchers are both opposed and in support of the tool
with its regard to allow measurement of A validity and reliability. This report highlights
arguments that have been proposed against and for the SCS tool on its ability to offer reliable
and valid data.

26 item Self-Compassion scale 3
Table of Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
validity and reliability......................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................11

26 item Self-Compassion scale 4
A validity and reliability of 26 item Self-Compassion scale
Introduction
The 26 item Self-Compassionate scale is psychological tool for assessing and measuring
compassion. It focusses on psychometric properties of the responded where the individual
responds to asset of 26n questions that are answered based on a scale of 1-5. Compassion is an
element that is measured about an individual’s reaction to others (Baer, Lykins, & Peters, 2002).
This means being open to and moved by others suffering and the desire to ease this suffering.
This is mostly used in clinical settings where health practitioners are supposed to have a level of
compassion to patients that they serve (Neff, 2003). This will entail three basic components;
extended kindness to others, seeing others experiences as part of the larger human experience
and lastly balancing the other person’s pain rather than over-identifying with the pain that they
experience. Self-Compassion is said to transform negative self-affect into a positive self-affect
with psychological benefits associated with high self-esteem. Studies on the Self-Compassion
scale have elicited different reactions on whether the components on the scale are A valid or not.
However, the 26-item compassionate scale is a guide which has been used by many practitioners
to design a scale that can be used to measure compassion (Costa & Pinto-Gouveia, 2013). This
has led to the question of whether the scale meets all the required measures or needs to be
reviewed. This report is a critical review of the Self-Compassionate scale based on previous
studies on the tool. This has raised several issues on the A validity of the scale.
Validity and reliability
Self-Compassion is a construct drawn from the Buddhist tradition, describing.
Compassion for oneself. As compassion is characterized by understanding, acceptance, and
forgiveness extended to others (McKay & Fanning, 1992), Self-Compassion entails the same

26 item Self-Compassion scale 5
attributes of compassion turned inward (NEFF, 2003). According to Garcia-Campayo, et al.
(2014) the Self-Compassion Scale is the only tool that is used to measure and self-report Self-
Compassion. This scale focuses on the mindfulness of the practitioner through exercising a
quality of consciousness that is non-judgmental and present centered. Self-Compassion as
encompassing self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness in opposition to self-judgment
isolation, and over-identification (Costa & Pinto-Gouveia, 2013). As such, the Self-Compassion
Scale (SCS) contains all of these aspects as separate yet related subscales. While most
individuals may relate to the notion of compassion and empathy towards others, affording the
same kind of treatment towards oneself may be more novel. The construct of Self-Compassion
regarding individual, relational, and physiological functioning is an exciting development in
psychology.
The tool is supposed to be designed across three different and related facets of
mindfulness, common humanity and self-kindness. Further, there are six sub-scales that
represent negative and positive facets for each scale that is measured in the three above. This
means that the measures are based on the perceived responses towards themselves about the
situations that others are in. Self-Compassion scales are designed differently in different
countries.
The SCS measure of compassion is A valid since is tis designed based on the
confirmatory factor analyses to ensure that the scale items fit the models that are used for the
study. The six factors listed above can be used in understanding the subscales within the study.
When the factors in the scales are correlated with research findings, it has been reported that the
factors can be interpreted and controlled according to the needs of the researcher (Gadermann,
Schonert-Reichl, & Zumbo, 2009). Internal validity and reliability of the SCS scale has been

26 item Self-Compassion scale 6
highly reported in several studies that have been tested by researchers. There are high correlation
results between different studies that have varied out in separate studies. One of the measures
that has been seen to be consistent is the difference in compassion levels among different groups
in the population. Research and SCS studies have indicated that undergraduate and community
adults have lower SCS scores as compared to those who practice Buddhism (Neff & Germer,
2013). Further, convergent A validity in different measures that have been carried out based on
therapist rating of Self-Compassion individuals who were using a single item had and the results
that were displayed after being introduced to the new tools.
A valid interpretation of the SCS scores has been highly debated on whether the measures
can be validly interpreted. Through the bi-factor model, the individual factors that form the
group factors can be modeled for a better understanding of the results. The association of overall
factors of Self-Compassion allow for essay measurement of the factors through using the omega
index to estimate the percentages of variance in the items. Thus A validity of the measures is
achieved through optimal model, estimates that result from omega factor analysis (Reise,
Bonifary, & Haviland, 2013)
The factor structure of the Self-Compassionate Scale has been designed in such a way
that both negative and positive factors of the scale can be included. The dynamic balance
between compassionate versus uncompassionate ways that individuals emotionally respond to
pain and failure (with kindness or judgment), cognitively understand their predicament (as part
of the human experience or as isolating), and pay attention to suffering (in a mindful or over-
identified manner).
The Self-Compassionate scale is based on generalized factors that are used across
different populations. Different studies on the factors have yielded mixed results in higher-order

26 item Self-Compassion scale 7
factors of the scale. Studies in Chinese and Portuguese clinical students showed different results
as compared to those from Germany and Italy. Researchers have questioned the ability of such
findings to be generalized across different populations. This is because there are cultural factors
that may shape reactions and compassion levels of the student. This led some researcher
concluding that the Self-Compassion scale works better in measuring six components of Self-
Compassion rather than measuring the real construct of Self-Compassion (Nef, 2015). This
means that there are challenges in getting an overall Self-Compassion score and interpreting its
validity. Approaches like the psychometric approach model, were designed to assess the
multidisciplinary nature of psychological measures. These measures have revealed that when the
SCS is used with the bi-factor model,, the individual responses are impacted thus giving different
scores.
Studies on compassion using the SCS scale have revealed that compassion can be
described in several ways. The six elements used in measuring compassion reveal that
compassion is a complex construct that includes other elements like emotion, perceptiveness,
sensitivity to suffering, understanding, distress tolerance and nonjudgmental attitudes (Strauss, et
al., 2016). This therefore reveals that compassion is both trait and state like and thus can be
measured a cross a continuum of tests using SCS. Through assigning questionnaires on an
ordinal scale, compassion can be measured using a set of questions that evaluate the responses of
the reader according to questions that are organization along the three psychological
components. Researchers can analyses and measure compassion levels in individuals without and
analyze it statistically using available tools for the research.
Gilbert (2004) suggests that oone of the strengths of the SCS tool is its ability to
compliment other psychological measures in research. The tool has been applied together with

26 item Self-Compassion scale 8
other psychometric tools that have been used to measure different aspects of life. Measures like
self-esteem, understanding, kindness and other virtues have been measured using different
scales. SCS allows researchers to carry out research and compare results from different studies.
Since the measures allow for gathering of quantitative data, it becomes easy for the data gathered
from different studies to be correlated and compared to determine the A validity of the data. One
of the measures of validity in research is the ability of a research to be consistent with previous
studies.
Some studies have shown different confirmatory factor analysis results have revealed
different findings. One study by Garcia-Campayo , Navarro-Gil M, Montero-Marin J, &
Demarzo (2014) reported higher confirmatory in students while the other by Petrocchi, Ottaviani,
& Couyoumdjian, (2013) replicated the six factor structure but failed to report evidence on
higher-order factor among community samples. These studies suggest that it is difficult to sum
the six factors together into an overall Self-Compassion score. This tests reveal convergent
validity which gives results that relate to measures of self-esteem and rumination. This has also
been reported in different reports of compassion that have been seen among different social
groups like Buddhists who report higher compassion rates based on demographic differences.
Further, arguments against the test have suggested that the psychometric properties of the
tool were designed using measures that are fit for college students. This means that applying the
test to different populations may not yield accurate results (Voruz, 2013). There are different
factors like age, gender and even demographic characteristics that may affect the reliability of
data. This social factors affect the nature of responses received thus making reliability of the data
used in the scale less reliable. Any scale of measurement should have a way to avoid biases that
may affect reliability of the data collected from the study. Since the SCS tool is designed as a

26 item Self-Compassion scale 9
single tool to be used in the profession, reliability id highly compromised. Further,, each of the
positive and negative factors formulated in the scale lead to separate factors that are different
from each other rather than one common factor.
One of the limitations of using the tool is its lack of the primary definition of compassion.
Primary levels of compassion are not measured under the normal measures of compassion thus
not taking care of all the factors of compassion (Brown, 2006). At the individual level,
compassion measures may reveal different results since they are not in certain situations.
Therefore, the results in a clinical setting should be treated as a validly true since the levels that
individuals score will vary from one way to another. Further, human being have social bonds that
affect their compassion levels. This means that measures that are taken will vary depending on
the individual setting (Crawford, Brown, Kvangarsnes, & Gilbert, 2014). In the presence of a
family member or friend, the levels of compassion may be higher as compared to the case of
professional settings. There is need to find a common ground on how both settings can be
integrated to improve measures of A validity.
Conclusion
The psychometric abilities of the scale have been highly criticized due to the use of the
overall Self-Compassion score. Scholars have indicated that the scale cannot be A validly used to
measure and arrive on a Self-Compassion score using different factors. This is but there are six
elements that fall within the each of the three levels of measurement. The questions used for the
scores have been weighted differently leading to the question of whether the overall score that is
given by the results reveals the required information (Gadermann, Guhn, & Zumbo, 2010).
When the questions are weighted differently on different elements of the scale then it becomes
challenging to measure the effects of each question on the overall score. Further, the elements

26 item Self-Compassion scale 10
are only three but compassion is affected by other factors which have not been accommodated in
the scale. This leaves gaps in the overall score since the factors do not give the differences in the
scores.

26 item Self-Compassion scale 11
References
Baer, R. A., Lykins, E. L., & Peters, J. R. (2002). Mindfulness and Self-Compassion as
predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched non-
meditators. Journal of Positive Psychology, 7, 230–238.
Brown, T. A. (2006). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research. New York: Guilford
Press.
Costa, J., & Pinto-Gouveia, J. (2013). Experiential avoidance and Self-Compassion in chronic
pain. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 43, 1578–1591.
Crawford, P., Brown, B., Kvangarsnes, M., & Gilbert, P. (2014). The design of compassionate
care . Journal of Clinical Nursing.
Gadermann, A. M., Guhn, M., & Zumbo, B. D. (2010). Investigating the substantive aspect of
construct A validity for the satisfaction with life scale adapted for children: A focus on
cognitive processes. Social Indicators Research, 100, 37-69.
Gadermann, A. M., Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Zumbo, B. D. (2009). Investigating A validity
evidence of the satisfaction with life scale adapted for children. Social Indicators
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Garcia-Campayo, J., Navarro-Gil M, A. E., Montero-Marin J, L.-A. L., & MMP., D. (2014). A
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Self-Compassion Scale. Health Qual Life Outcomes, 1-9.
Garcia-Campayo, J., Navarro-Gil, M., Eva Andrés, Montero-Marin, J., López-Artal, L., &
Demarzo, a. M. (2014). A validation of the Spanish versions of the long (26 items) and
short (12 items) forms of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). Health Quarterly Life
Outcomes, 12(4).

26 item Self-Compassion scale 12
Gilbert, P. &. (2004). A pilot exploration of the use of compassionate images in a group of self-
critical people. Memory,, 12(4), 507-516.
Nef, K. D. (2015). The Self-Compassion Scale is a A valid and Theoretically Coherent Measure
of Self-Compassion. Springer.
NEFF, K. D. (2003). The Development and A validation of a Scale to Measure Self-Compassion.
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Neff, K. D., & Germer, C. K. (2013). A pilot study and randomized controlled trail of the
mindful self-copmassion program. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69(1), 28-44.
Petrocchi, N., Ottaviani, C., & Couyoumdjian, A. (2013). Dimensionality of Self-Compassion:
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Strauss, C., Taylor, B. L., Gu, J., Kuyken, W., Baer, R., Jones, F., & Cavanagh, K. (2016). What
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