Fears of Compassion Scales

Abstract

The Fears of Compassion Scales (FOCS) were developed as a comprehensive, empirically derived instrument to systematically measure psychological resistance, avoidance, or apprehension related to the experience and expression of compassion. The FOCS is based on a robust tripartite model, assessing three core domains of compassion flow: Fear of compassion for self (resistance to self-kindness and forgiveness), Fear of compassion from others (anxiety or discomfort when receiving care), and Fear of compassion for others (apprehension about expressing kindness outwardly). The scale development drew heavily on clinical observations from psychotherapy and established theoretical frameworks, particularly the attachment literature. Comprising 38 items rated on a five-point Likert scale, initial psychometric evaluations demonstrated strong internal consistency across both student and therapist populations, confirming its suitability for clinical and research applications.

Keywords

Compassion, Fear, Self-Compassion, Self-Criticism, Psychometrics, Psychological Assessment, Attachment, Self-Report, FOCS

Authors

Paul Gilbert, Katy McEwan, Marina Matos, Andrew Rivis

Purpose

The primary objective of the Fears of Compassion Scales (FOCS) is to provide a systematic assessment of the varied ways individuals experience anxiety, resistance, or avoidance related to both the expression and reception of kindness and compassion. The instrument is designed to capture the underlying cognitive and affective belief systems that drive an individual’s hesitation towards compassion, regardless of whether that kindness is directed inwardly (self-compassion), outwardly (to others), or received from external sources.

This assessment tool holds significant clinical value, particularly within the framework of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). By accurately identifying the specific fears an individual harbors—such as concerns about vulnerability, fear of dependency, feelings of undeservingness, or worry about potential exploitation—therapists can tailor interventions to directly address these barriers, which are often central to therapeutic stagnation or distress.

Construct

The FOCS measures the construct of Fears of Compassion, which is conceptualized as a multi-dimensional construct reflecting resistance to the three functional orientations of compassion flow. The scale clearly distinguishes between these three separate yet related factors:

• Fear of Compassion for Self (15 items): This subscale assesses the internal struggle and resistance an individual feels toward self-kindness, self-forgiveness, and self-support. This fear is frequently linked to intense internalized self-criticism and concerns that self-kindness might lead to a lowering of personal standards or moral accountability.
• Fear of Compassion from Others (13 items): This domain measures anxiety, discomfort, and avoidance behaviors related to receiving warmth, care, or affection from external sources. These fears often involve concerns about the authenticity of others’ motives, discomfort with intimacy, or the worry of becoming vulnerable or overly dependent on others who may eventually withdraw their care.
• Fear of Compassion for Others (10 items): This factor gauges apprehension and reluctance regarding the expression of kindness, empathy, or care towards other people. This resistance is often underpinned by beliefs that compassion will be exploited, that it will create dependency in others, or that certain individuals are undeserving of empathy, justifying a harsher, more disciplined approach.

Validity

The initial validation of the FOCS placed strong emphasis on establishing face validity and clinical relevance. The scale items were rigorously generated based on extensive clinical insights derived from patient discussions and consultation with established psychological literature, including foundational work on depression and attachment by Arieti & Bemporad (1980) and Bowlby (1969, 1973, 1980).

The selection process involved generating approximately twenty potential items for each of the three domains. These items were then systematically ranked by the research team to ensure they were the most representative, clear, and easily comprehensible indicators of the intended fear constructs. Items demonstrating low face validity or difficulty in comprehension were rejected, resulting in the final subscale lengths (15, 13, and 10 items). Subsequent published research has generally provided strong support for the scale’s construct validity by demonstrating predicted associations with various measures of psychopathology and indicators of poor well-being.

Reliability

The reliability of the Fears of Compassion Scales was assessed primarily through internal consistency, utilizing Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. This evaluation was conducted across two distinct adult populations—university students and practicing therapists—to ensure the consistency of measurement across diverse groups. The results consistently indicated strong to acceptable reliability for all three subscales, confirming that the items within each domain reliably measure the underlying fear construct.

The internal consistency results for the student population were high:

• Fear of compassion for self: 0.92
• Fear of compassion from others: 0.85
• Fear of compassion for others: 0.84

The reliability for the therapist population remained robust, although the alpha coefficient for the Fear of Compassion for Others subscale was slightly lower:

• Fear of compassion for self: 0.86
• Fear of compassion from others: 0.85
• Fear of compassion for others: 0.76

Factor Analysis

The development of the FOCS was explicitly guided by the hypothesis of a tripartite model. The conceptual generation and selection process led to the creation of three distinct, non-overlapping subscales: Fear of Compassion for Self, Fear of Compassion from Others, and Fear of Compassion for Others. This inherent design structure—reflected in the differing item counts (15, 13, and 10 items)—strongly indicates that the authors expected a clear three-factor structure to emerge statistically.

While the initial source content focuses on the developmental stage, subsequent empirical studies utilizing the FOCS have generally confirmed this robust three-factor structure. These analyses support the conclusion that the specific fears related to the direction of compassion operate as separate, yet interconnected, psychological dimensions relevant to clinical practice and research.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report measure

Format: Five-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 to 4 (38 total items)

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Clinical and Non-clinical adults

Age Group: Adult (18+)

Population Details: Initial samples used for validation included university students and practicing therapists, suggesting broad applicability for assessing fears of compassion across diverse adult populations in both research and clinical assessment settings.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their level of agreement with each statement using a five-point scale where 0 = Don’t agree at all, 2 = somewhat agree, and 4 = Completely agree. Total scores are calculated by summing the responses within each of the three distinct subscales.

Keywords

CFT, Paul Gilbert, Psychological Resistance, Self-Report Scale, Internal Consistency, Reliability, Compassion

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Fears of Compassion Scales were developed and submitted for publication around the time of the provided reference (Gilbert et al., Submitted). As a measure often associated with the Compassionate Mind Foundation, usage is typically permitted for non-commercial research and clinical purposes. However, users seeking formal or official usage, especially in commercial settings, should secure permission directly from the primary author, Professor Paul Gilbert, or the relevant copyright holder.

Reference’s

• Gilbert, P., McEwan, K., Matos, M. & Rivis, A. (Submitted). Fear of compassion: Development of a self-report measure. Psychology and Psychotherapy.
• Arieti, S. & Bemporad, J. (1980). Severe and mild depression: The psychotherapeutic approach. Basic Books.
• Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss, Vol. 1: Attachment. Basic Books.
• Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss, Vol. 2: Separation: Anxiety and anger. Basic Books.
• Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss, Vol. 3: Loss: Sadness and depression. Basic Books.

Items of the Fears of Compassion Scales

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way. The original PDF of the scale items and description can be downloaded here: http://www.compassionatemind.co.uk/downloads/scales/Fear_of_Compassion_Scale.pdf

SCALE INSTRUCTIONS:

Different people have different views of compassion and kindness. While some people believe that it is important to show compassion and kindness in all situations and contexts, others believe we should be more cautious and can worry about showing it too much to ourselves and to others. We are interested in your thoughts and beliefs in regard to kindness and compassion in three areas of your life:

1. Expressing compassion for others
2. Responding to compassion from others
3. Expressing kindness and compassion towards yourself

Below are a series of statements that we would like you to think carefully about and then circle the number that best describes how each statement fits you.

Please use this scale to rate the extent that you agree with each statement

Don’t agree at all = 0, 1, 2= somewhat agree, 3, 4= Completely agree

Scale 1: Expressing compassion for others (10 items)

• People will take advantage of me if they see me as too compassionate
• Being compassionate towards people who have done bad things is letting them off the hook
• There are some people in life who don’t deserve compassion
• I fear that being too compassionate makes people an easy target
• People will take advantage of you if you are too forgiving and compassionate
• I worry that if I am compassionate, vulnerable people can be drawn to me and drain my emotional resources
• People need to help themselves rather than waiting for others to help them
• I fear that if I am compassionate, some people will become too dependent upon me
• Being too compassionate makes people soft and easy to take advantage of
• For some people, I think discipline and proper punishments are more helpful than being compassionate to them

Scale 2: Responding to the expression of compassion from others (13 items)

1. Wanting others to be kind to oneself is a weakness.
2. I fear that when I need people to be kind and understanding they wont be.
3. I’m fearful of becoming dependent on the care from others because they might not always be available or willing to give it.
4. I often wonder whether displays of warmth and kindness from others are genuine.
5. Feelings of kindness from others are somehow frightening.
6. When people are kind and compassionate towards me I feel anxious or embarrassed.
7. If people are friendly and kind I worry they will find out something bad about me that will change their mind.
8. I worry that people are only kind and compassionate if they want something from me.
9. When people are kind and compassionate towards me I feel empty and sad.
10. If people are kind I feel they are getting too close.
11. Even though other people are kind to me, I have rarely felt warmth from my relationships with others.
12. I try to keep my distance from others even if I know they are kind.
13. If I think someone is being kind and caring towards me, I ‘put up a barrier’.

Scale 3: Expressing kindness and compassion towards yourself (15 items)

• I feel that I don’t deserve to be kind and forgiving to myself
• If I really think about being kind and gentle with myself it makes me sad
• Getting on in life is about being tough rather than compassionate
• I would rather not know what being ‘kind and compassionate to myself’ feels like
• When I try and feel kind and warm to myself I just feel kind of empty
• I fear that if I start to feel compassion and warmth for myself, I will feel overcome with a sense of loss/grief
• I fear that if I become kinder and less self-critical to myself then my standards will drop
• I fear that if I am more self-compassionate I will become a weak person
• I have never felt compassion for myself, so I would not know where to begin to develop these feelings
• I worry that if I start to develop compassion for myself I will become dependent on it
• I fear that if I become too compassionate to myself I will lose my self-criticism and my flaws will show
• I fear that if I develop compassion for myself, I will become someone I do not want to be
• I fear that if I become too compassionate to myself others will reject me
• I find it easier to be critical towards myself rather than compassionate
• I fear that if I am too compassionate towards myself, bad things will happen