CQA-18: 18-Item Compassion Questionnaire for Animals.

Abstract

The Compassion Questionnaire for Animals (CQA) was developed to measure compassion for animals as a multifaceted construct encompassing affective, cognitive, behavioral, and interrelatedness dimensions, each representing skills that can be cultivated through training and practice. Nonetheless, the original 28-item limited its usability in research. This study aimed to address this limitation by developing a shortened version of the questionnaire while preserving its strengths. The CQA underwent an iterative shortening process that was evaluated in a large-scale validation study was conducted to evaluate the shortened questionnaires. The final version comprised 18 items (CQA-18) with high content and valence balance among items. Psychometric analysis indicated that CQ-18 maintained properties similar to the original questionnaire in terms of internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, while also presenting an invariant factor structure by gender. CQA-18 represents a significant reduction in length compared to the original version, while maintaining robust psychometric properties. The study findings underscore the theoretical and practical significance of the questionnaire in assessing and cultivating compassion for animals. However, certain limitations warrant consideration, and the implications for research and clinical practice are thoroughly discussed.