The Levels of Self-Criticism Scale: comparative self-criticism and internalized self-criticism

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Abstract

The Levels of Self-Criticism (LOSC) Scale was designed to measure two dysfunctional forms of negative self-evaluation: Comparative Self-Criticism (CSC) and Internalized Self-Criticism (ISC). An initial pool of 34 items was subjected to reliability and item analyses with 282 participants. From these analyses, a final scale of 12 items for CSC and 10 items for ISC was developed. These scales were then validated with 144 participants. As predicted, CSC and ISC were moderately correlated with each other. Each scale was uniquely and predictably related to other measures of personality, attachment, and conflict resolution, and these relationships did not appear to be primarily due to general relationships with Neuroticism. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

Section snippets

The Levels of Self-Criticism Scale

A variety of theorists have noted two basic outcomes of personality development: the development of the capacity for healthy, constructive relationships and the development of a sense of autonomy together with a positive personal identity (e.g. Bakan, 1966, Erikson, 1950, Freud, 1961). Recent theoretical work has highlighted the ongoing dialectic between agency, the drive toward individuation and self-definition, and communion, the drive toward engaging in constructive relationships with others

Participants

Two-hundred and eighty-two undergraduate students participated in the scale development phase of the study. Of the 282 students, 144 were female, and 138 were male. Questionnaire packets were distributed in several undergraduate classes. Participants completed the questionnaire packets at home, and returned them to the researchers.

LOSC

Participants completed a 34-item version of the LOSC, which had been developed rationally. Each item was intended to reflect one of the levels of self-criticism

Study 2: validation of the LOSC

Study 2 was conducted to examine convergent, discriminant and construct validity. Convergent validity was examined by assessing the relation of CSC and ISC with the theoretically related constructs of self-criticism, self-esteem, psychological distress, and perfectionism. Discriminant validity was examined by assessing differences in the relation of CSC and ISC with the Big Five personality constructs. Construct validity was examined by assessing the relation of CSC and ISC with attachment

General discussion

In Study 1, the LOSC was derived from a set of rationally generated items designed to assess two forms of Self-Criticism, differing in developmental level of maturity. It was subjected to factor analysis and, as expected, two subscales, CSC and ISC were found. This factor solution was replicated in Study 2, increasing confidence in the performance and stability of these scales.

There is reasonably good evidence for the convergent and discriminant validity of the LOSC. Both the CSC and ISC

Acknowledgements

We thank Sylvette LaTouche, Tracy Robinson, and Kerry Shaz for their help in collecting this data. We also thank David Dunkley, Isabel Igreja, and Sidney Blatt for their thoughtful comments on earlier versions of the article and on the items comprising the LOSC scale.

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