Self
Self-compassion
26 questions · 7 min
Self-compassion means treating yourself with the same kindness you’d offer a friend when things go wrong. This questionnaire looks at three pairs of opposites: being kind to yourself or harshly self-critical, seeing your struggles as part of being human or feeling alone with them, and holding painful feelings in balance or getting swept away by them.
You get an overall score, and a score for each of the six parts under More detail. It’s most useful for seeing how your own results change over time.
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What it shows
How kindly you tend to treat yourself when things are difficult, overall and in six parts.
What it doesn’t
A diagnosis, or a verdict on what kind of person you are.
Who it’s for
This questionnaire is for anyone who suspects they’re harder on themselves than they’d ever be on a friend. Maybe a small mistake can stay with you for days, or you feel as though everyone else copes better than you do. Seeing how your answers fall across the six parts can make those patterns easier to notice.
It’s also useful if you’re practising self-kindness, through mindfulness, journaling or support from a counsellor, and want to see whether anything shifts. Because it’s a longer questionnaire, pick a quiet moment when you have about seven minutes.
Questions people ask
What does the Self-Compassion Scale measure?
It looks at three pairs of opposites: being kind to yourself or self-critical, seeing struggles as part of being human or feeling alone with them, and holding painful feelings in balance or getting swept up in them. You get an overall score and a score for each of the six parts.
How long does it take?
There are 26 statements, so it takes about 7 minutes. For each one, you choose how often you act that way, from almost never to almost always.
How is the SCS scored?
Each of the six parts is the average of its answers, from 1 to 5. For the overall score, the three harsher parts are flipped so that higher always means kinder, and then all six are averaged. As a rough guide from the author, below 2.5 is low, 2.5 to 3.5 is moderate and above 3.5 is high; these aren’t clinical norms.
Is there a good or bad result?
No. Your score isn’t a verdict on what kind of person you are, and it isn’t a diagnosis. Many people find self-kindness hard, and it’s something that can grow with practice.
How often can I retake it?
About every eight weeks. The questionnaire is most useful for seeing how your own results change over time, rather than comparing yourself with anyone else.
Who developed the Self-Compassion Scale?
Psychologist Kristin Neff at the University of Texas at Austin, in 2003.
Where it comes from
Developed by psychologist Kristin Neff at the University of Texas at Austin in 2003.
Self-Compassion Scale
On iPhone or iPad?
Sprout is an app there too, and this link opens the test straight away if you have it.
Coming soon to the App Store