Pain Catastrophizing Scale
PCSA 13-item measure of rumination, magnification, and helplessness in relation to actual or anticipated pain.
Ready-to-cite methods sentence
Reliability & validation
Subscales
Known limitations
The original development sample was non-clinical, and the Magnification subscale had modest internal consistency (α = .60). The PCS is not a diagnostic tool. Obtain the developer's permission where required.
Original citation
Sullivan, M. J. L., Bishop, S. R., Pivik, J. (1995). The Pain Catastrophizing Scale: Development and validation. Psychological Assessment, 7(4), 524-532.
https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.7.4.524This instrument is licensed. Obtain permission from the copyright holder before using it in your study.
Questions researchers ask
What does the PCS measure?
A 13-item measure of rumination, magnification, and helplessness in relation to actual or anticipated pain.
How many items does the PCS have?
The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) has 13 items across 3 subscales: Rumination, Magnification, Helplessness.
Is the PCS free to use?
The PCS is licensed. You must obtain permission from the copyright holder before using it in a study — Folio does not distribute its item wording without that permission.
Is the PCS reliable?
Validation studies report Cronbach's α of 0.6–0.87. See the reliability section for the population studied and full statistics.
Who developed the PCS, and how do I cite it?
Sullivan, M. J. L., Bishop, S. R., Pivik, J. (1995). The Pain Catastrophizing Scale: Development and validation. Psychological Assessment, 7(4), 524-532. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.7.4.524
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Related scales
Library entry verified August 2026. Metadata is provided for reference; item wording is available inside Folio Surveyor, subject to each instrument's licensing.