Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a Korean self-compassion scale. In Study 1, 22 preliminary items were generated through a literature review and subsequent content validation. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted with 220 adults aged 20 and older. This resulted in a 15-item self-compassion scale with three sub-factors: caring for the suffering self, recognizing and accepting the universality of suffering, and mindfulness of suffering. In Study 2, a confirmatory factor analysis was performed on data from 453 adults, confirming that the scale has adequate construct validity. Bifactor model analysis established that interpreting the scale using a unidimensional measurement model is appropriate. Correlation analysis with the Self-Compassion Scale, Mindfulness Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, The Satisfaction with Life Scale and Dass-21 Scale demonstrated convergent, concurrent, and incremental validity. Finally, we conducted tests to examine differences by gender and age.