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The Equanimity Scale-16

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Handbook of Assessment in Mindfulness Research

Abstract

Traditionally and in modern science, equanimity has been defined as both a practice and the resulting mental state cultivated by this practice. Equanimity is an inseparable component and a central mechanism of action and change in mindfulness practice; requiring exposure to neutral, pleasant, and unpleasant experiences while accepting the experience as it is and preventing the learned reaction (attachment or aversion) to it. Given the interdependence of mindfulness and equanimity, there has been a growing interest for constructing measurement tools to assess equanimity. In response, the Equanimity Scale (ES-16) was developed due to the lack of adequate measures. The development of the ES-16 commenced by identifying a pool of 517 theoretically appropriate items from 26 existing self-report measures of mindfulness and relevant constructs. Following an item selection process by three experienced meditators and teachers specialized in the development of equanimity, 42 items were endorsed as being sufficiently representing equanimity. These reflected two underlying dimensions of equanimity (experiential acceptance and non-reactivity). Studies examining exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses found two factors reflecting these dimensions and supported the reliability of the overall ES-16, and the dimensions of Experiential Acceptance and Non-Reactivity. Research using the ES-16 has provided evidence of concurrent validity through positive correlations with measures of related constructs, such as nonattachment, and negative correlations with measures of psychological distress. The ES-16 was also found to be appropriately sensitive to mental health improvements in clinical settings, where ES-16 scores increased in response to a mindfulness-based intervention, with concordant decreases in self-reported symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depressive symptoms

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MiCBT Institute, Hobart, TAS, Australia

    Bruno A. Cayoun

  2. School of Psychology, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Bruno A. Cayoun & Alice G. Shires

  3. School of Psychology, Swinburn University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Bradley Elphinstone

Authors
  1. Bruno A. Cayoun
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  2. Bradley Elphinstone
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  3. Alice G. Shires
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruno A. Cayoun .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

    Oleg N. Medvedev

  2. North Shore Campus, Auckland Univ of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand

    Christian U. Krägeloh

  3. Dept of Psychology and Neuroscience, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand

    Richard J. Siegert

  4. Augusta University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Nirbhay N. Singh

Appendix

Appendix

Equanimity Scale

Select the response that best describes how you view yourself, based on the scale below. Select the appropriate responses based on how much you agree with each statement right at this moment. Try not to spend too much time of any one item. There are no right or wrong answers.

• Strongly disagree = 1

• Mildly disagree = 2

• Agree and disagree equally = 3

• Mildly agree = 4

• Strongly agree = 5

1. When I have distressing thoughts or images, I am able just to notice them without reacting.

1 2 3 4 5

2. I approach each experience by trying to accept it, no matter whether it is pleasant or unpleasant.

1 2 3 4 5

3. When I experience distressing thoughts and images, I am able to accept the experience.

1 2 3 4 5

4. I can pay attention to what is happening in my body without disliking or wanting more of the feeling or sensation.

1 2 3 4 5

5. When I notice my feelings, I have to act on them immediately.

1 2 3 4 5

6. If I notice an unpleasant body sensation, I tend to worry about it.

1 2 3 4 5

7. When I feel physical discomfort, I can’t relax because I am never sure it will pass.

1 2 3 4 5

8. I perceive my feelings and emotions without having to react to them.

1 2 3 4 5

9. I remain present with sensations and feelings even when they are unpleasant.

1 2 3 4 5

10. I notice that I need to react to whatever pops into my head.

1 2 3 4 5

11. When I have distressing thoughts or images, I “step back” and am aware of the thought or image without getting taken over by it.

1 2 3 4 5

12. I can’t keep my mind calm and clear, especially when I feel upset or physically uncomfortable.

1 2 3 4 5

13. I endeavor to cultivate calm and peace within me, even when everything appears to be constantly changing.

1 2 3 4 5

14. I am impatient and can’t stop my reactivity when faced with other people’s emotions and actions.

1 2 3 4 5

15. I am not able to tolerate discomfort.

1 2 3 4 5

16. I am not able to prevent my reaction when someone is unpleasant.

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Note: Items 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15 and 16 are reverse scored (Rogers et al., 2021).

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Cayoun, B.A., Elphinstone, B., Shires, A.G. (2022). The Equanimity Scale-16. In: Medvedev, O.N., Krägeloh, C.U., Siegert, R.J., Singh, N.N. (eds) Handbook of Assessment in Mindfulness Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77644-2_57-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77644-2_57-1

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