Compassion for Others Scales

Abstract

The Compassion for Others Scales (COS) is a 24-item psychometric instrument developed to measure an individual’s disposition toward and behavioral responses to the suffering of other people. Developed by Pommier (2011), the scale operationalizes compassion as a multi-faceted construct, encompassing both positive engagement and negative avoidance components. It is structured around six key subscales, providing a detailed profile of how respondents typically act and relate to others experiencing distress. The scale utilizes a 5-point Likert Scale response format.

Keywords

Compassion for Others, outward compassion, kindness, indifference, Common Humanity, psychological scale, self-report, Pommier, Neff, psychological assessment.

Authors

Pommier, E. A., Neff, Kristin.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Compassion for Others Scales is to provide a reliable and valid measure of dispositional compassion directed toward others. Unlike scales focusing on self-compassion, the COS specifically assesses the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral elements involved when an individual encounters the pain or struggles of those around them. This scale is crucial for research exploring prosocial behavior, empathy, and the effectiveness of compassion-focused interventions.

Construct

The COS measures outward-focused compassion, conceptualized through six distinct factors. These factors capture the spectrum from active, caring engagement to detached avoidance or indifference. The positive components reflect active engagement with suffering, while the negative components reflect barriers to compassionate responses. The six subscales are: Kindness, Indifference, Common Humanity, Separation, Mindfulness, and Disengagement.

The inclusion of factors like Common Humanity emphasizes the recognition that suffering is a shared human experience, which is a core philosophical component of many compassion models. Conversely, factors like Separation and Disengagement measure the tendency to feel emotionally disconnected or avoidant when confronted with others’ distress.</h3

Validity

Although specific validity statistics are detailed in Pommier’s original dissertation, the scale structure suggests robust theoretical grounding. Construct validity is supported by the clear differentiation of the six factors, which align with established models of compassion. It is expected to demonstrate strong convergent validity with measures of empathy, altruism, and perspective-taking, while showing discriminant validity from measures of general distress or neuroticism, confirming that it uniquely captures the construct of compassionate orientation toward others.

Reliability

The psychometric strength of the COS relies on high internal consistency, typically measured using Cronbach’s alpha, for both the overall scale score and its constituent subscales. High reliability is essential for accurately differentiating between high and low levels of compassionate response. The instrument’s 24-item length contributes to its stability, ensuring consistent measurement across different administrations and populations.

Factor Analysis

The development of the COS utilized Factor Analysis to confirm the hypothesized six-factor structure. This analysis supports the conceptual separation of the components: Kindness, Indifference, Common Humanity, Separation, Mindfulness, and Disengagement. The results indicate that compassionate responding is not a unitary trait but rather a complex interplay of proactive caring behaviors, non-judgmental awareness (Mindfulness), and the avoidance of isolating or indifferent responses.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire

Format: 24 items, administered via a 5-point Likert Scale.

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: General population, primarily adults.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults.

Population Details: Developed primarily using college student and general adult samples during initial validation.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate the frequency with which they engage in specific thoughts or behaviors toward others in distress, using the scale: 1 = Almost Never, 3 = Sometimes, 5 = Almost Always. Specific items are reverse-scored to ensure the total score accurately reflects overall outward compassion.

Keywords

prosocial behavior, empathy, altruism, psychological assessment, Mindfulness, disengagement, emotional regulation, Factor Analysis.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified.

Affiliation Email addresses: Dr. Pommier: [email protected]; Dr. Neff: [email protected].

Correspondence Address: Not specified.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The instrument was developed in 2011 as part of the primary author’s dissertation. The scale, along with related self-compassion measures developed by Dr. Neff, is generally made available for free use in academic research, provided appropriate citation is given. The instrument can typically be found on associated research websites, such as the one provided: http://www.self-compassion.org/scales-for-researchers.html. Researchers interested in utilizing the scale should contact the authors directly for permission and guidance.

Reference’s

• Pommier, E. A. (2011). The compassion scale. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 72, 1174.

Items of the Compassion for Others Scales

HOW I TYPICALLY ACT TOWARDS OTHERS

1. When people cry in front of me‚ I often don’t feel anything at all.
2. Sometimes when people talk about their problems‚ I feel like I don’t care.
3. I don’t feel emotionally connected to people in pain.
4. I pay careful attention when other people talk to me.
5. I feel detached from others when they tell me their tales of woe.
6. If I see someone going through a difficult time‚ I try to be caring toward that person.
7. I often tune out when people tell me about their troubles.
8. I like to be there for others in times of difficulty.
9. I notice when people are upset‚ even if they don’t say anything.
10. When I see someone feeling down‚ I feel like I can’t relate to them.
11. Everyone feels down sometimes‚ it is part of being human.
12. Sometimes I am cold to others when they are down and out.
13. I tend to listen patiently when people tell me their problems.
14. I don’t concern myself with other people’s problems.
15. It’s important to recognize that all people have weaknesses and no one’s perfect.
16. My heart goes out to people who are unhappy.
17. Despite my differences with others‚ I know that everyone feels pain just like me.
18. When others are feeling troubled‚ I usually let someone else attend to them.
19. I don’t think much about the concerns of others.
20. Suffering is just a part of the common human experience.
21. When people tell me about their problems‚ I try to keep a balanced perspective on the situation.
22. I can’t really connect with other people when they’re suffering.
23. I try to avoid people who are experiencing a lot of pain.
24. When others feel sadness‚ I try to comfort them.

Scoring Information:

Response Scale: 1 = Almost Never, 2, 3 = Sometimes, 4, 5 = Almost Always

• Kindness Items: 6, 8, 16, & 24
• Indifference Items: 2, 12, 14, & 18 (Reversed Scored)
• Common Humanity: 11, 15, 17, & 20
• Separation: 3, 5, 10, & 22 (Reversed Scored)
• Mindfulness: 4, 9, 13, & 21
• Disengagement: 1, 7, 19, & 23 (Reverse Scored)

Note on Short Form Use: The authors note that while the Self-Compassion Scale – Short Form (12 items) has a near perfect correlation with the long scale for total scores, they do not recommend using the short form if researchers are interested in subscale scores due to reduced reliability.