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'I have high self-compassion': A face-valid single-item self-compassion scale for resource-limited research contexts

Zhang JW, Howell RT, Chen S, Goold AR, Bilgin B, Chai WJ, et al.

Clin Psychol Psychother, 2022 Jan 26.
PMID: 35083797 DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2714

The original 26-item Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003) and 12-item Short-Form Self-Compassion Scale (SF-SCS; Raes et al., 2011) are scales commonly used in cross-sectional and longitudinal research to assess the global self-compassion construct and its six facets. We introduce the Single-Item Self-Compassion Scale (SISC; 'I have high self-compassion') to measure the global self-compassion construct in time-, space- and resource-limited contexts (e.g., daily diaries, experience sampling and nationally representative surveys). Additionally, the SISC will expand knowledge about self-compassion by providing researchers whose primary interest is not self-compassion with a convenient, face-valid option to measure self-compassion. Across 10 samples (four cross-sectional, four longitudinal and two 7-day daily diary; N = 2,477), we demonstrated that the SISC has acceptable psychometric properties. Specifically, the SISC was temporally consistent, correlated adequately with the SCS and SF-SCS, exhibited nearly identical correlational patterns when compared with the SCS and SF-SCS with a wide range of criterion measures (e.g., self-esteem, personality, affective and social functioning, mental health and demographic variables) and saved 12 min over a 7-day diary. Results replicated among students, community samples and across the United States, Turkey and Malaysia. Thus, we provide the field with an alternative measure of the global self-compassion construct that complements the SCS and SF-SCS.
Awe, curiosity, and multicultural experience

Zhang JW, Howell RT, Januchowski JA, Ramis T, Mello Z, Monroy M

J Pers, 2023 Jun;91(3):667-682.
PMID: 35929345 DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12766

INTRODUCTION: Despite broad consensus about multicultural experience's benefits, there is a lack of research on the antecedents to multicultural experiences. Research has indicated that awe shifts attention away from the self toward larger entities, which could include elements of other cultures.
METHODS: Four studies (N = 2915) tested whether trait, daily, and induced awe promoted multicultural experience.
RESULTS: Studies 1-2 (adolescents, young, middle, and older adults) showed that trait awe predicted greater multicultural identity and experience independent of other positive emotions and openness. Study 3 (students & adults in U.S. & Malaysia) demonstrated that daily awe predicted more daily multicultural experience independent of yesterday's multicultural experience. These results were explained by trait and daily curiosity. Study 4 (adults) found that induction of awe increased state multicultural identity and experience via state curious emotions and then state curious personality.
CONCLUSION: We found that experiencing more awe can be a tool for enhancing the multicultural experience. The discussion focuses on the implications for future research on awe and multicultural experiences.
Cross-cultural similarities and differences in the experience of awe

Razavi P, Zhang JW, Hekiert D, Yoo SH, Howell RT

Emotion, 2016 Dec;16(8):1097-1101.
PMID: 27632153

Current research on awe is limited to Western cultures. Thus, whether the measurement, frequency, and consequences of awe will replicate across non-Western cultures remains unanswered. To address this gap, we validated the dispositional awe scale (Shiota, Keltner, & John, 2006) in 4 countries (United States, Iran, Malaysia, and Poland; N = 1,173) with extensive variations in cultural values (i.e., power distance) and personality profiles (i.e., extraversion and openness). Multigroup factor analyses demonstrated that, across all cultures, a 3-factor model that treats awe, amusement, and pride as 3 unique emotions is superior to a single-factor model that clusters all 3 emotions together. Structurally, the scales of awe, amusement and pride were invariant across all countries. Furthermore, we found significant country-level differences in dispositional awe, with the largest discrepancy between the United States and Iran (d = 0.79); these differences are not likely due to cultural response biases. Results are discussed in terms of possible explanations for country-level differences and suggestions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record
A Compassionate Self Is a True Self? Self-Compassion Promotes Subjective Authenticity

Zhang JW, Chen S, Tomova Shakur TK, Bilgin B, Chai WJ, Ramis T, et al.

Pers Soc Psychol Bull, 2019 09;45(9):1323-1337.
PMID: 30658553 DOI: 10.1177/0146167218820914

Theory and research converge to suggest that authenticity predicts positive psychological adjustment. Given these benefits of authenticity, there is a surprising dearth of research on the factors that foster authenticity. Five studies help fill this gap by testing whether self-compassion promotes subjective authenticity. Study 1 found a positive association between trait self-compassion and authenticity. Study 2 demonstrated that on days when people felt more self-compassionate, they also felt more authentic. Study 3 discovered that people experimentally induced to be self-compassionate reported greater state authenticity relative to control participants. Studies 4 and 5 recruited samples from multiple cultures and used a cross-sectional and a longitudinal design, respectively, and found that self-compassion predicts greater authenticity through reduced fear of negative evaluation (Study 4) and heightened optimism (Study 5). Across studies, self-compassion's effects on authenticity could not be accounted for by self-esteem. Overall, the results suggest that self-compassion can help cultivate subjective authenticity.