Description

The Compassion for Others Scale (COS) is a psychometric tool designed to assess individuals’ capacity to express compassion and kindness toward others. Compassion is defined as the emotional response to the suffering of others, accompanied by a desire to help and alleviate their pain. The scale includes a variety of statements that examine aspects such as empathy, understanding, support, and willingness to help in situations where others are facing difficulties.

Purpose

The primary goal of the COS is to provide a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating compassion toward others. This tool helps psychologists, researchers, and therapists better understand individuals’ capacity for empathy and supportive behavior. The information gathered can be used to develop interventions that enhance compassion and social connectedness, thereby improving mental health and well-being.

Analysis

The analysis of data collected using the COS involves statistical methods to assess the reliability and validity of the instrument. Reliability analysis, such as the use of Cronbach’s alpha, is used to ensure the internal consistency of the items. Factor analysis can be employed to confirm the structure of the scale and identify the underlying dimensions of compassion for others. Additionally, correlation analysis may be conducted to examine the relationship between COS scores and other psychological and social variables, such as empathy, social support, and mental health.

Scoring

The COS is scored using a Likert scale, where participants are asked to rate each statement from 1 (never) to 5 (always). Total scores are calculated by summing the ratings of the individual items. Higher scores indicate a greater capacity for compassion toward others, while lower scores suggest a lower capacity.

References

Pommier, E. (2011). The Compassion Scale. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 72(4-A), 1174.

Neff, K. D. (2003). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2(3), 223–250.

Gilbert, P., & Procter, S. (2006). Compassionate mind training for people with high shame and self-criticism: Overview and pilot study of a group therapy approach. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 13(6), 353–379.

Goetz, J. L., Keltner, D., & Simon-Thomas, E. (2010). Compassion: An evolutionary analysis and empirical review. Psychological Bulletin, 136(3), 351–374.

Lazarus, R. S. (1991). Emotion and Adaptation. Oxford University Press.