Predicting Self-Criticism Based on Parental Psychological Control and Interpersonal Problems among Adolescents
Downloads
Objective: The present study aimed to predict self-criticism based on parental psychological control and interpersonal problems among adolescents.
Methods and Materials: This quantitative study used a descriptive-correlational and predictive research design. The statistical population consisted of all upper-secondary school students in Tehran during the 2024–2025 academic year, specifically from districts 16, 17, and 19. Based on Klein’s sample size recommendation, 350 students were selected through non-random convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Levels of Self-Criticism Scale developed by Thompson and Zuroff (2004), the Parental Psychological Control Scale developed by Soenens, Vansteenkiste, and Luyten (2010), and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems developed by Barkham, Hardy, and Startup (1996). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for self-criticism, parental psychological control, and interpersonal problems were .85, .78, and .80, respectively. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and regression analysis.
Findings: The findings showed a positive and significant relationship between parental psychological control and self-criticism. A positive and significant relationship was also found between interpersonal problems and self-criticism. Regression analysis indicated that parental psychological control explained 2.9% of the variance in self-criticism, while interpersonal problems explained 17.6% of its variance.
Conclusion: Overall, the findings suggest that adolescents who perceive higher levels of parental psychological control and experience more interpersonal problems are more likely to report higher levels of self-criticism. These results highlight the importance of family and interpersonal factors in understanding self-critical tendencies during adolescence.
Downloads
Barber, B. K., & Harmon, E. L. (2002). Violating the self: Parental psychological control of children and adolescents. https://doi.org/10.1037/10422-002
Barkham, M., Hardy, G. E., & Startup, M. (1996). The IIP‐32: A short version of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 35(1), 21-35. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8260.1996.tb01159.x
Dinger, U., Barrett, M. S., Zimmermann, J., Schauenburg, H., Wright, A. G., Renner, F., Zilcha‐Mano, S., & Barber, J. P. (2015). Interpersonal problems, dependency, and self‐criticism in major depressive disorder. Journal of clinical psychology, 71(1), 93-104. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22120
Gilbert, P. (2009). The compassionate mind. Robinson. https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=2454807
Loew, C. A., Schauenburg, H., & Dinger, U. (2020). Self-criticism and psychotherapy outcome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical psychology review, 75, 101808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2019.101808
Luoma, J. B., & Chwyl, C. (2022). Interpersonal mechanisms for the maintenance of self-criticism: expressive suppression, emotion expression, and self-concealment. Current Psychology, 41(6), 4027-4040. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00920-z
Mastrotheodoros, S., Canário, C., Cristina Gugliandolo, M., Merkas, M., & Keijsers, L. (2020). Family functioning and adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems: Disentangling between-, and within-family associations. Journal of youth and adolescence, 49(4), 804-817. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-019-01094-z
Shahar, G. (2015). Erosion: The psychopathology of self-criticism. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780199929368.001.0001
Soenens, B., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2010). A theoretical upgrade of the concept of parental psychological control: Proposing new insights on the basis of self-determination theory. Developmental review, 30(1), 74-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2009.11.001
Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., & Luyten, P. (2010). Toward a domain‐specific approach to the study of parental psychological control: Distinguishing between dependency‐oriented and achievement‐oriented psychological control. Journal of personality, 78(1), 217-256. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2009.00614.x
Thompson, R., & Zuroff, D. C. (2004). The Levels of Self-Criticism Scale: Comparative self-criticism and internalized self-criticism. Personality and individual differences, 36(2), 419-430. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(03)00106-5
Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
