Construction and factorial validation of a short form of the Self‐Compassion Scale

TLDR

The study aimed to develop and validate a concise 12‑item version of the Self‑Compassion Scale. Researchers constructed the short form using two Dutch samples for factorial cross‑validation and then tested it in a third English sample. The short form showed strong internal consistency (α ≥ 0.86), a near‑perfect correlation with the long form (r ≥ 0.97), and confirmed the six‑factor structure plus a single higher‑order factor, proving it a reliable and valid alternative for overall self‑compassion assessment.

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to construct and validate a short-form version of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). Two Dutch samples were used to construct and cross-validate the factorial structure of a 12-item Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF). The SCS-SF was then validated in a third, English sample. The SCS-SF demonstrated adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ≥ 0.86 in all samples) and a near-perfect correlation with the long form SCS (r ≥ 0.97 all samples). Confirmatory factor analysis on the SCS-SF supported the same six-factor structure as found in the long form, as well as a single higher-order factor of self-compassion. The SCS-SF thus represents a reliable and valid alternative to the long-form SCS, especially when looking at overall self-compassion scores.