29 research outputs found
Self-reassurance, not self-esteem, serves as a buffer between self-criticism and depressive symptoms
Several studies suggest that selfâcriticism and selfâreassurance operate through different mechanisms and might interact with each other. This study examined the hypothesis that selfâreassurance serves as a buffer between selfâcriticism and depressive symptoms in a way that selfâesteem, which is rooted in a different motivational system, may not. We hypothesized that selfâcriticism would be correlated with high levels of depressive symptoms but that this association would be weaker at higher levels of selfâreassurance abilities. We also hypothesized that selfâesteem, a selfârelating process based on feeling able and competent to achieve life goals, would not buffer the relationship between selfâcriticism and depression. Selfâcriticism, selfâreassurance, depressive symptoms, and selfâesteem were assessed in a sample of 419 participants (66% females; Mage = 33.40, SD = 11.13). At higher levels of selfâreassurance, the relationship between selfâcriticism and depressive symptoms became nonâsignificant, supporting the buffering hypothesis of selfâreassurance. Despite the high correlation between selfâesteem and selfâreassurance, selfâesteem did not moderate the relationship between selfâcriticism and depressive symptoms. Results support the growing evidence that not all positive selfârelating processes exert the same protective function against psychopathological consequences of selfâcriticism. Implications for psychotherapy and the validity of using compassionâfocused interventions with clients with selfâcritical issues are discussed. Selfâreassurance and selfâcriticism are distinct processes and they should not be considered positive and negative variations of a single dimension. Different types of positive selfârelating do not show the same correlation with depressive symptoms. The ability to be selfâreassuring protects against the psychopathological correlates of selfâcriticism while having high selfâesteem does not. Compassionâfocused interventions are promising avenues to help clients counteract the negative impact of selfâcriticism on mood.N/
Why do the poor save so little?
SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:3553.800(98-20) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo