TY - JOUR

T1 - Self-Compassion as a Facet of Neuroticism? A Reply to the Comments of Neff, Tóth-Király, and Colosimo (2018)

AU - Geiger, Mattis

AU - Pfattheicher, Stefan

AU - Hartung, Johanna

AU - Weiss, Selina

AU - Schindler, Simon

AU - Wilhelm, Oliver

PY - 2018/7/1

Y1 - 2018/7/1

N2 - In this paper, we respond to comments by Neff et al. (2018) made about our finding that the negative dimensions of self-compassion were redundant with facets of neuroticism (rs ≥ 0.85; Pfattheicher et al., 2017) and not incrementally valid. We first provide epistemological guidance for establishing psychological constructs, namely, three hurdles that new constructs must pass: theoretically and empirically sound measurement, discriminant validity, and incremental validity—and then apply these guidelines to the self-compassion scale. We then outline that the critique of Neff et al. (2018) is contestable. We question their decisions concerning data-analytic methods that help them to circumvent instead of passing the outlined hurdles. In a reanalysis of the data provided by Neff et al. (2018), we point to several conceptual and psychometric problems and conclude that self-compassion does not overcome the outlined hurdles. Instead, we show that our initial critique of the self-compassion scale holds and that its dimensions are best considered facets of neuroticism.

AB - In this paper, we respond to comments by Neff et al. (2018) made about our finding that the negative dimensions of self-compassion were redundant with facets of neuroticism (rs ≥ 0.85; Pfattheicher et al., 2017) and not incrementally valid. We first provide epistemological guidance for establishing psychological constructs, namely, three hurdles that new constructs must pass: theoretically and empirically sound measurement, discriminant validity, and incremental validity—and then apply these guidelines to the self-compassion scale. We then outline that the critique of Neff et al. (2018) is contestable. We question their decisions concerning data-analytic methods that help them to circumvent instead of passing the outlined hurdles. In a reanalysis of the data provided by Neff et al. (2018), we point to several conceptual and psychometric problems and conclude that self-compassion does not overcome the outlined hurdles. Instead, we show that our initial critique of the self-compassion scale holds and that its dimensions are best considered facets of neuroticism.

KW - jangle fallacy

KW - neuroticism

KW - rebuttal

KW - self-compassion

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85051752273&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/per.2168

DO - 10.1002/per.2168

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85051752273

VL - 32

SP - 393

EP - 404

JO - European Journal of Personality

JF - European Journal of Personality

SN - 0890-2070

IS - 4

ER -