The origins of self-criticism were investigated with 507 participants. A questionnaire assessed parental behaviours, attachment, peer victimization, and self-compassion. Multiple linear regression analyses were employed to assess parental attachment’s association with self-criticism, parental criticism’s mediating effects, and moderating effects of self-compassion, peer victimization, gender, parental substance abuse, and parental divorce. Low parental attachment predicted self-criticism; maternal criticism mediated maternal attachment’s effects on self-criticism; peer victimization moderated paternal attachment’s effects on self-criticism; and maternal substance abuse moderated maternal attachment’s effects on self-criticism. Self-compassion, parental divorce, and gender did not moderate any relationships. Secure attachment to parents decreased participants’ likelihood of developing self-criticism; protective factors of paternal attachment appear vulnerable to peer victimization; and maternal influences on the development of self-criticism may reflect that mothers being more influential than fathers in molding how their children view themselves and others. Results may reflect qualitative or quantitative differences in mothers’ relationships with their children. / October 2016

published_or_final_version / Chinese Historical Studies / Master / Master of Arts

Legalized gambling in Canada has increased dramatically over the last two decades. The existing literature suggests that a subgroup of individuals with gambling problems might be characterized by an emotional vulnerability to depression, although psychological factors related to such vulnerability have rarely been examined. This thesis utilized a representative community sample to examine the relationship between self-criticism, a psychological factor reflecting vulnerability to depression, distress and gambling problems and to provide data on the prevalence and correlates of gambling problems in Winnipeg. Results indicated that self-criticism is significantly related to gambling problems and this relationship was stronger among women. The prevalence of gambling problems was 11%, double the most recently reported Canada-wide estimates. Correlates of gambling problems revealed in the current study were consistent with previous research. These results have important implications for treatment and prevention efforts as well as public policy regarding gambling and gambling advertising in Canada.

Legalized gambling in Canada has increased dramatically over the last two decades. The existing literature suggests that a subgroup of individuals with gambling problems might be characterized by an emotional vulnerability to depression, although psychological factors related to such vulnerability have rarely been examined. This thesis utilized a representative community sample to examine the relationship between self-criticism, a psychological factor reflecting vulnerability to depression, distress and gambling problems and to provide data on the prevalence and correlates of gambling problems in Winnipeg. Results indicated that self-criticism is significantly related to gambling problems and this relationship was stronger among women. The prevalence of gambling problems was 11%, double the most recently reported Canada-wide estimates. Correlates of gambling problems revealed in the current study were consistent with previous research. These results have important implications for treatment and prevention efforts as well as public policy regarding gambling and gambling advertising in Canada.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1980.

Shame and self-criticism are closely related constructs that have strong associations with many forms of psychopathology as well as general psychological distress. Rumination is a maladaptive form of repetitive thinking that is associated with a number of psychological disorders. Although measures of many different types of rumination (e.g. depressive rumination, angry rumination) have been developed, none assess self-critical rumination. The purpose of the present study, therefore, was to develop a measure of self-critical rumination. An initial pool of items for the Self-Critical Rumination Scale (SCRS) was developed by adapting existing rumination measures and through a writing task administered to both student and clinical samples. Following an evaluation of content validity, a total of 24 items remained in the item pool. These items were then administered to a large sample of undergraduates along with measures of related constructs. Psychometric properties of the Self-Critical Rumination Scale (SCRS) were examined including internal consistency, factor structure, and convergent and discriminant relationships with related constructs. Regression analyses were then performed in which scores on the SCRS were used to predict several different indicators of psychological distress. The SCRS significantly predicted symptoms of borderline personality disorder and overall general distress.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1973. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1980. / Also available in print.

Self-compassion is increasingly recognised as beneficial in psychotherapy, but can also be experienced as threatening. Attachment priming has been shown to enhance affiliative behaviours even in those with insecure trait attachment styles, and to decrease arousal and threat sensitivity. The current study investigated (a) associations between self-criticism, self-compassion, fear of self-compassion and trait attachment insecurity, and (b) whether attachment-related security priming could promote state self-compassion and reduce physiological arousal when self-compassion induction was attempted by self-critical individuals. 49 participants with high levels of self-reported self-criticism completed either a 'secure' or a 'neutral' prime before undertaking a loving-kindness meditation. Participants' heart rate and skin conductance levels were collected at baseline and during the priming and meditation; participants also self-rated their levels of state self-criticism, state self-compassion and state attachment security at each of these points. Correlational analyses (Spearman's rho) found positive associations between trait self-criticism and trait attachment insecurity and between trait fear of self-compassion and trait attachment insecurity, although not between low trait self-compassion and trait attachment insecurity. Group and time differences were analysed using a combination of parametric (ANOVA, t-test) and non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal Wallis, Wilcoxon Signed Rank) as some data were not normally distributed). Attachment priming was shown to significantly enhance state self-compassion and also to significantly increase state attachment security and decrease state attachment avoidance, although not state self-criticism or state attachment anxiety, and to give some reductions in physiological arousal. This benefit, however, did not persist in subsequent exposure to loving-kindness meditation, although individuals not receiving attachment priming also showed some reduction of threat and activation of soothing systems from loving-kindness meditation. These findings suggest that attachment priming and loving-kindness meditation may increase self-compassion for some self-critical people, but there are not necessarily cumulative benefits from combining these practices.

No description available.