Deconstructing Self-Compassion: How the Continued Use of the Total Score of the Self-Compassion Scale Hinders Studying a Protective Construct Within the Context of Psychopathology and Stress
This short paper continues the argument about how the Self-Compassion Scale should be scored, replying to the case for a single total score. The position defended here is that compassionate and uncompassionate responding are not two ends of one dimension, and that combining them obscures what the research is trying to find out. The specific charge is that a total score makes it impossible to tell whether an association with mental health reflects the protective effect of treating oneself kindly or the damaging effect of self-criticism, since both are inside the same number, and that separating them yields more useful information about protection and vulnerability under stress. The opposing position, argued by the scale's authors on the basis of a large factor-analytic study, is that the structure of the data supports a total score. Both sides are recorded here. On the evidence available, this vault prefers reporting the components separately, because a measure that cannot distinguish two opposite mechanisms cannot test either.
This short paper continues the argument about how the Self-Compassion Scale should be scored, replying to the case for a single total score. The position defended here is that compassionate and uncompassionate responding are not two ends of one dimension, and that combining them obscures what the research is trying to find out. The specific charge is that a total score makes it impossible to tell whether an association with mental health reflects the protective effect of treating oneself kindly or the damaging effect of self-criticism, since both are inside the same number, and that separating them yields more useful information about protection and vulnerability under stress. The opposing position, argued by the scale's authors on the basis of a large factor-analytic study, is that the structure of the data supports a total score. Both sides are recorded here. On the evidence available, this vault prefers reporting the components separately, because a measure that cannot distinguish two opposite mechanisms cannot test either.
Written from the abstract, OpenAlex.
What our sources record
Reproduced as it was written when this source was checked, figures and all.
Muris, P. & Otgaar, H. (2022). "Deconstructing Self-Compassion: How the Continued Use of the Total Score of the Self-Compassion Scale Hinders Studying a Protective Construct Within the Context of Psychopathology and Stress." Mindfulness, 13, 1403-1409.
Where we use it
- Why You Are Kinder to Your Friends Than to Yourself, Why We Care
Reliability of this reference
The link below was matched against the publisher's record on title, first author and year, and all three agree.
The source
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01898-4
DOI: 10.1007/s12671-022-01898-4