Adu, PeterPopoola, TosinBartholomew, EmersonIqbal, NavedRoemer, AnjaJurcik, TomasCollings, SunnyAspin, CliveMedvedev, Oleg N.Simpson, Colin R2024-11-272024-11-272024Adu, P., Popoola, T., Bartholomew, E., Iqbal, N., Roemer, A., Jurcik, T., Collings, S., Aspin, C., Medvedev, O. N., & Simpson, C. R. (2024). Enhancing the precision of the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form (SCS-SF) with Rasch methodology. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-024-02462-y1868-8527https://hdl.handle.net/10289/17063Objectives: Precise measurement of self-compassion is essential for informing well-being–related policies. Traditional assessment methods have led to inconsistencies in the factor structure of self-compassion scales. We used Rasch methodology to enhance measurement precision and assess the psychometric properties of the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form (SCS-SF), including its invariance across Ghana, Germany, India, and New Zealand. Method: We employed the Partial Credit Rasch model to analyse responses obtained from 1000 individuals randomly selected (i.e. 250 from each country) from a total convenience sample of 1822 recruited from the general populations of Germany, Ghana, India, and New Zealand. Results: The initial identification of local dependency among certain items led to a significant misfitting of the SCS-SF to the Rasch model (χ2 (108) = 260.26, p < 0.001). We addressed this issue by merging locally dependent items, using testlets. The solution with three testlets resulted in optimal fit of the SCS-SF to the Rasch model (χ2 (27) = 23.84, p = 0.64), showing evidence of unidimensionality, strong sample targeting (M = 0.20; SD = 0.72), and good reliability (Person Separation Index = 0.71), including invariance across sociodemographic factors. We then developed ordinal-to-interval conversion tables based on the Rasch model’s person estimates. The SCS-SF showed positive correlations with measures of compassion towards others, optimism, and positive affect, alongside negative associations with psychological distress and negative affect. Conclusions: The current study supports the reliability, as well as the structural, convergent, and external validity of the SCS-SF. By employing the ordinal-to-interval conversion tables published here, the precision of the measure is significantly enhanced, offering a robust tool for investigating self-compassion across different cultures.enThis article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Journal Article10.1007/s12671-024-02462-y1868-85355203 Clinical and Health Psychology52 Psychology5201 Applied and developmental psychology5203 Clinical and health psychology5205 Social and personality psychology3 Good Health and Well Being