Joint Psychometric Validation of the Shame and Release Scale (SRS) and the Fundamental Peace Scale (FP20) in Indian Organisational Contexts: A Pre-Registered Validation Protocol
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Study Protocol
Abstract: Background The Shame and Release Scale (SRS) and the Fundamental Peace Scale (FP20) address a critical measurement gap in South Asian organisational contexts: the absence of validated instruments that simultaneously assess shame burden and fundamental wellbeing. The SRS is a 40-item instrument measuring shame load across five subscales (Inner Verdict, Others' Eyes, Exposure at Work, Inherited Shame, Shame Loop) and release capacity (Release subscale), conceptualizing shame and release as opposite poles of a single psychological continuum. The FP20 is a 20-item instrument measuring fundamental peace as an integrative positive state distinct from the absence of distress, grounded in the Yoga Vasishtha Hypnotherapy (YVH) Model. Both instruments are designed for oral administration in low-literacy populations and are being validated within the World Happiness Foundation's Shameless Institutions programme in India, which provides ecological validity through programme data waves as validation samples. Methods This protocol employs a longitudinal multi-wave cohort design embedded in the WHF Shameless Institutions programme. The validation sample comprises 400 participants at baseline, 350 at mid-point, and 300 at endpoint, stratified across three occupational levels: artisan communities, field staff, and head office personnel. Both instruments undergo expert review for content validity (Content Validity Index ≥ 0.78), cognitive interviews (15–20 per occupational group), pilot exploratory factor analysis (n=150), confirmatory factor analysis (n=400), and validity testing against established measures. Convergent validity is assessed using the External and Internal Shame Scale (EISS), which has demonstrated validity across multiple countries [1], the Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory (TRIM-18), and the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form (SCS-SF). Discriminant validity testing examines the distinctness of SRS and FP20 constructs. Measurement invariance is tested across occupational levels and gender. The oral administration protocol accommodates low-literacy artisan participants through picture-based answer cards and research partner-assisted completion. Expected Results We predict strong convergent validity: SRS Shame Load subscales will correlate positively with the validated EISS measure of external and internal shame [1] and TRIM-18 revenge/avoidance dimensions, and negatively with SCS-SF and FP20; SRS Release will correlate positively with SCS-SF and FP20, and negatively with EISS. Discriminant validity testing will demonstrate that SRS and FP20 measure distinct but related constructs (HTMT < 0.85). Confirmatory factor analysis will support a six-factor structure for SRS (five shame load factors plus release) and a four-factor structure for FP20, with fit indices meeting recommended thresholds (CFI ≥ 0.95, RMSEA ≤ 0.06, SRMR ≤ 0.08). Measurement invariance will be established across occupational levels and gender. Longitudinal analysis will reveal significant reductions in shame load and increases in fundamental peace from baseline to endpoint. Discussion Successful validation of the SRS and FP20 will provide the first psychometrically robust instruments for simultaneously measuring shame burden and fundamental wellbeing in South Asian organisational contexts. This joint validation contributes to cross-cultural psychometrics by developing culturally adapted instruments for shame measurement in collectivistic cultures, where shame is more prominent and associated with subordinance-related experiences [2]. The validated instruments will enable wellbeing measurement in South Asian organisational contexts where shame is a principal factor regulating social behavior [2], supporting evidence-based programme evaluation in the WHF Shameless Institutions initiative and similar interventions. The oral administration protocol extends measurement accessibility to low-literacy populations, addressing a critical gap in inclusive psychometric practice. Conclusion This pre-registered protocol establishes a rigorous validation pathway for the SRS and FP20 in Indian populations, providing validated tools for measuring shame and fundamental peace in South Asian organisational and development contexts where such instruments have been absent.
Author: Luis Miguel Gallardo
Institution: Shoolini University
Language: English
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W7222428074