Pain Catastrophizing Scale
PCSA 13-item measure of rumination, magnification, and helplessness in relation to actual or anticipated pain.
Ready-to-cite methods sentence
Citing this in a methods section? This scale spans more than one discipline, so the style depends on where you publish — see the APA 7 or Vancouver guides, or compare all six citation styles.
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. Folio does not distribute its item wording — 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
Permission required
Importing PCSinto a Surveyor study is disabled: Folio holds the instrument’s metadata, not a license to pass on its wording. The citation, scoring and reliability details on this page are free to use and cite.
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.