Self-Critical or Lacking in Self-Compassion? Distinct Constructs with Unique Predictions for Subjective Well-Being Over Time
Self-compassion has been found to play an important role in mental health and well-being. In contrast, self-criticism is related to negative personality traits and various psychopathologies. There are well-known and valid measures of self-criticism (Blatt, DAfflitti, & Quinlan, 1976), but only one measure of self-compassion, the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003b). Recent studies suggest the 13 negatively valanced items of the SCS appear closer to self-criticism rather than a lack of self-compassion. This study aimed to better define self-compassion by comparing the SCS to a valid measure of self-criticism. It was hypothesized that a subset of the SCSs positive items would be conceptually faithful to the construct of self-compassion and would show discriminant and construct validity compared to self-criticism when looking at responses to Online Positive Psychology Interventions. This study addresses a gap in the literature by refining the measurement of self-compassion and identifying a briefer scale called the SCS-5.
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