Assessing compassionate abilities: Translation and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the compassionate engagement and action scales (CEAS)

Abstract

This study aimed to develop the Italian version of the Compassionate Engagement and Action Scales (CEAS) and examine its validity and reliability among Italian-speaking adults. A total of 374 (mean age = 23.11) Italian speaking participants took part in the study. All of them completed a questionnaire comprising the CEAS, together with measures of self-compassion, self-criticism, social support, empathy, well-being and general distress, used to estimate the scale’s convergent and criterion-related validity. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) revealed a satisfactory fit for a model in which three second-order factors (Self-compassion, Compassion for others and Compassion from others) were further articulated in two first-order factors (Engagement and Action). All the scales presented good reliability in terms of internal consistency. Correlations with measures of social support, empathy, self-compassion, self-criticism, well-being, and general distress indicated good convergent and criterion-related validity of the Italian version of the CEAS. Taken together, these results suggest that the CEAS can be properly used with Italian-speaking individuals in order to assess the three compassion flows in terms of both engagement and action.