Investigating the Psychometric Characteristics (Validity and Reliability) of the Self-Compassion Scale: Finding Empirical Evidence for Using the Total Score and defining the Concept of Self-Compassion

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of the Self-Compassion Scale, the response to the two critiques entered into this scale.

This research was a descriptive-analytic study of type validation. The sample consisted of 400 students from the Islamic Azad University of Tehran's South Branch who were selected by available sampling method and completed self-compassion scale.

The results of exploratory factor analysis revealed 6 factors, which in total, explained 68.28% of the total scale variance. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis, in addition to verifying the results of exploratory factor analysis, allowed the conceptual definition and use of the total score. The reliability coefficient of the scale was obtained by Cronbach's alpha of 0.77 and by a re-test method of 0.75.

The results of this study showed that this scale, in addition to having proper psychometric properties in non-clinical groups, is also valid in terms of conceptual definition of self-compassion construct and use of total score.