Compassion for Others Scales

Abstract

The Compassion for Others Scales (CoS) is a specialized psychological scale developed by Pommier in 2011 to measure an individual’s dispositional tendency toward compassion directed externally toward others who are suffering or experiencing difficulty. This instrument comprises 24 items designed to capture six distinct components of compassionate response. It shifts the focus from self-compassion (as measured by related scales) to interpersonal behavior and emotional connectivity regarding others’ pain. The scale is structured to assess both positive engagement behaviors (e.g., Kindness, Mindfulness) and disengaged or avoidant behaviors (e.g., Indifference, Separation).

Keywords

Compassion, Compassion for Others, Psychological Assessment, Kindness, Indifference, Common Humanity, Mindfulness, Psychometric Scale, Psychometrics

Authors

Pommier, E. A., Neff, K.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Compassion for Others Scales is to provide a comprehensive, empirically validated measure of how individuals typically respond to and engage with the suffering of people around them. It aims to move beyond general measures of empathy or sympathy by isolating specific behavioral and cognitive components that constitute true compassion. The scale is valuable for researchers seeking to understand the relationship between other-focused compassion and constructs such as prosocial behavior, well-being, and therapeutic effectiveness.

This instrument allows for the calculation of an overall compassion score, along with detailed scores across six subscales, offering a nuanced profile of an individual’s compassionate disposition. The development was rooted in the doctoral research of E. A. Pommier, complementing existing work in the field of self-compassion research led by Dr. Kristin Neff.

Construct

The CoS operationalizes compassion for others as a complex, multi-faceted psychological construct, which involves recognizing the suffering of others, feeling emotionally moved by that suffering, and having a desire to alleviate it. The scale is theorized to be composed of six distinct but interrelated components, reflecting both positive engagement and negative disengagement from others’ pain.

The six theoretical components measured by the CoS are:

• Kindness: Active behavioral expression of warmth and support toward others in difficulty.
• Indifference: Lack of emotional concern or caring when others discuss their problems (reverse-scored).
• Common Humanity: Recognizing that suffering and imperfection are universal experiences shared by all people.
• Separation: Feeling emotionally disconnected or detached from others who are in pain (reverse-scored).
• Mindfulness: Maintaining a balanced and aware perspective toward others’ suffering, without becoming overly identified or overwhelmed.
• Disengagement: Actively avoiding or tuning out when people express their troubles (reverse-scored).

Validity

The validity of the CoS was established during its development phase through rigorous psychometrics procedures, primarily utilizing exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to confirm the distinctiveness and coherence of the six-factor structure. Construct validity is supported by the conceptual alignment of the subscales with established theoretical models of compassion, particularly those emphasizing the balance between caring and non-judgmental awareness (Mindfulness and Common Humanity).

Furthermore, the scale demonstrates expected relationships with measures of related constructs, such as empathy, altruism, and prosocial behavior, while maintaining discriminant validity from measures of personal distress or burnout. The instrument is considered a valuable tool for assessing dispositional compassion in research contexts.

Reliability

Reliability analyses conducted during Pommier’s 2011 dissertation supported the internal consistency of the 24-item scale and its six subscales. Internal consistency, typically measured using Cronbach’s alpha, was found to be acceptable across all factors, indicating that the items within each subscale reliably measure the intended underlying construct.

It is important to note that the source material includes a caution provided by Dr. Kristin Neff regarding the use of short-form scales. While not specifically about the CoS, the warning highlights that while short forms (such as the 12-item Self-Compassion Scale Short Form mentioned) may achieve near-perfect correlation with the long form for total scores, they are generally not recommended for research requiring reliable subscale scores due to decreased reliability at the subscale level.

Factor Analysis

The Compassion for Others Scales is psychometrically grounded in a six-factor model derived from factor analysis. This structure was crucial for differentiating the active, positive components of compassion (Kindness, Common Humanity, Mindfulness) from the passive or negative components (Indifference, Separation, Disengagement). This sophisticated structure allows researchers to identify specific deficits or strengths in an individual’s compassionate repertoire rather than relying solely on a single, global compassion score.

The six subscales are defined by the following item groupings:

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

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychological scale (Dispositional Measure)

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

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: General population, typically adult samples in research settings.

Age Group: Adults (Appropriate for adolescents depending on reading level and context).

Population Details: Primarily used in academic research and clinical studies focusing on social psychology, affective neuroscience, and mental health interventions.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate the frequency with which they typically act or feel toward others who are suffering, using the provided Likert scale. Scoring requires careful attention to the items that must be reverse-scored to ensure negative components contribute appropriately to the overall compassion score.

Keywords

Psychological Measurement, Factor analysis, Disposition, Affective Science, Prosocial Behavior, Self-Compassion, E. A. Pommier, K. Neff

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source.

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

Correspondence Address: Correspondence should generally be directed to the authors via email for the most current information.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed in 2011 as part of doctoral research. The instrument is generally made available for non-commercial academic research purposes, often without charge, though users should confirm current usage rights directly with the primary authors (Pommier or Neff). The instrument and related scales are often hosted on the Self-Compassion website for researchers. The instrument can be found at: http://www.self-compassion.org/scales-for-researchers.html

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

Scoring Key: 1 = Almost Never, 2, 3 = Sometimes, 4, 5 = Almost Always

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.

Subscale Scoring Instructions:

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