Supportive evidence for the State Self-Compassion Scale using Japanese samples.

Abstract

Self-compassion (SC) is a trait of having a compassionate attitude toward oneself when experiencing a difficult situation. Recent studies focused on its temporal fluctuation; moreover, Neff et al. (2021) developed a scale to assess the state level of SC. Although its psychometric reliability and validity were confirmed, it was unclear whether it could be adopted in diverse samples. Therefore, we aimed to provide additional evidence using Japanese samples that are recognized as having a high propensity for self-criticism. Study 1 (preregistered) and Study 2 compared several factor models of the scale and demonstrated that the bifactor model using exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) was the best solution. Moreover, the state scale performed better in predicting affect than the trait SC, supporting the incremental validity. Most of the correlations with the trait SC and the positive/negative affect were nearly as expected. In Study 3, an experimental induction of SC indicated that those in the SC condition experienced an improved state SC after the writing tasks, whereas those in the control condition did not. Study 4 replicated these results and revealed that state SC was more easily improved by the writing manipulation than trait SC. Most of the previous research’s results were replicated; furthermore, additional supportive evidence was established across the four studies. We suggest the utility of the State Self-Compassion Scale and discuss some different findings obtained from the Western samples from a cultural perspective.

Comparing self-esteem and self-compassion: an analysis within the big five personality traits framework

“…Future studies need to use different designs, for example, other-report self-esteem, to examine the results of the current study. Through different methods, the differences between state and trait self-compassion could also be explored (Chishima et al, 2022;Neff, 2023). In addition, while the TIPI-J is known for its brevity and ease of administration, it has been critiqued for its lower accuracy and depth compared to more comprehensive personality measures.…”

Effect of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Self-Compassionate Behaviors: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…The same items used in the method of measuring SC behaviors in daily life (Uchida et al, 2020) were employed. The participants were asked to recount how they interacted with themselves when experiencing distress or stress for each of the four items of the topography of SC behaviors: “soothing oneself (Q3-1-1),” “interacting kindly with self (Q3-1-2),” “trying to alleviate distress (Q3-1-3),” and “validating self (Q3-1-4).” The first three items (Q3-1-1, Q3-1-2, Q3-1-3) were shown to predict increases in the Japanese version of the State SCS (Chishima et al, 2017). In contrast, the fourth item (Q3-1-4) was not shown to significantly predict the State SCS (Uchida et al, 2020).…”