Investigating the Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Guilt and Shame Questionnaire (GSQ-8)

Feelings of shame and guilt are seen in a wide range of psychological disorders, and these feelings are of high importance in disorders related to eating and obesity.

The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Guilt and Shame Questionnaire.

This study was applied in terms of aim and in terms of methodology in the field of descriptive-correlation researches of psychometric type, respectively. The statistical population included all individuals with high Body Mass Indexes (BMI > 25) who referred to nutrition clinics affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences in 2022, 573 of whom were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using External Shame Scales (1994) and Body Image Flexibility Questionnaire (2013) and Guilt and Shame Questionnaire (2022). In order to analyze the findings, the internal consistency method  with Cronbach's alpha was performed, and to check the construct validity  with confirmatory factor analysis, SPSS version 25 and Lisrel version 8.8 were employed.

The results showed that this scale has desirable psychometric properties. There is a significant positive correlation (r=0.66) between the current Questionnaire and the Scale of External Shame, and a significant negative correlation (r=-0.63) with the Scale of Flexibility Body Image. Also, Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total scale  was 0.87.

Considering the desirable psychometric features of the Shame and Guilt Scale and the short form of the questionnaire (8 questions), this questionnaire can be used in people with high body mass indexes and people with eating disorders.