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A Lifespan Perspective on Dependency and Self-Criticism: Age-Related Differences from 18 to 59

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Abstract

A sizeable body of research suggests that self-definition and relatedness represent two fundamental developmental streams across the lifespan (Blatt in Psychoanal Study Child 29:107–157, 1974; Blatt and Luyten in Dev Psychopathol 21:793–814, 2009). Adverse developmental experiences have been found to affect personality development leading to high levels of self-criticism or dependency. No research to date has examined the developmental trends of these factors across the lifespan or the moderating impact of important life experiences. In a sample of 3,586 Canadians aged 18–59, age-related differences in self-criticism and dependency were examined. Analyses were replicated in a multicultural sample of 612 Canadians and 647 individuals born and currently living on the continent of Asia. Controlling for both neuroticism and depressive symptoms, results showed that self-criticism and dependency decreased linearly across the lifespan in both samples and across cultures; however, the decrease in self-criticism was steeper for men compared to women, while the decrease in dependency was steeper for those without children compared to those with children. Furthermore, participants who were in a romantic relationship showed lower levels of self-criticism and higher levels of dependency compared to those who were not in a romantic relationship. Results suggest that people may develop a healthier view of close relationships with others and acquire more positive self-views over the course of their lives.

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Notes

  1. In order to ensure that any significant effects were not being masked by depression symptoms or neuroticism, all analyses were repeated excluding depression and neuroticism from the models, but all reported effects remained significant. Interactions were interpreted by comparing simple slopes in the different categories of the moderator variable.

  2. Because there may be differences in the rates of change of personality with age in depressed compared to non-depressed participants, all analyses were repeated on a subsample of 1,570 participants from the first, all-Canadian sample, and 425 participants from the second, multicultural sample who scored under the depression cutoff of 16 on the CESD (Radloff 1977). All effects reported here remained significant at levels previously reported, and so results are presented on the full samples.

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  1. Department of Psychology, McGill University, 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada

    Daniel C. Kopala-Sibley & David C. Zuroff

  2. Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Myriam Mongrain

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  1. Daniel C. Kopala-Sibley
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Kopala-Sibley, D.C., Mongrain, M. & Zuroff, D.C. A Lifespan Perspective on Dependency and Self-Criticism: Age-Related Differences from 18 to 59. J Adult Dev 20, 126–141 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-013-9163-9

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