The compass of shame scale: dimensionality and gender measurement invariance in a Portuguese sample

Abstract

Different shame coping strategies directly influence shame experience. However, the assessment of these strategies has received little attention. The Compass of Shame Scale (CoSS-5) was developed to assess shame-coping styles and has proven to be a valid measure. In this study, the CoSS-5 dimensionality was examined throughout confirmatory analysis and its measurement invariance across gender was investigated for the original (four-factor) and a new recently proposed measurement model (five-factor). The sample consisted of 605 Portuguese adults (57.5% female; Mean age = 35.43) recruited from the community. In addition to the CoSS-5, participants completed other measures relevant for construct validity. Both the four and the five-factor measurement models revealed a good fit to the data. Good reliability values were found for all factors, with Cronbach's alphas ranging between .79 and .90. The CoSS-5 also proved to be gender invariant, regardless of the measurement model. The subscales of CoSS-5 associated in the expected direction with measures of external shame, self-critical and self-reassuring responses, psychological flexibility/inflexibility, and psychopathology symptoms. This study highlights the relevance of the CoSS-5 in advancing knowledge on the impact of shame-coping styles on psychopathological outcomes, making it available for use in research and clinical settings.