Is Self-Criticism Really a Trigger of Psychological Problems? An Analysis of Self-Criticism in the Context of Turkish University Students

Nesrullah Okan

doi:https://doi.org/10.29329/epasr.2023.525.8

Original article | Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research 2023, Vol. 18(1) 175-195

Is Self-Criticism Really a Trigger of Psychological Problems? An Analysis of Self-Criticism in the Context of Turkish University Students

Nesrullah Okan

pp. 175 - 195 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.29329/epasr.2023.525.8 | Manu. Number: MANU-2107-17-0001

Published online: March 08, 2023 | Number of Views: 155 | Number of Download: 330

Save PDF

Abstract

This study aims to examine the concept of self-criticism in the context of Western and Eastern cultures and to examine graduate students’ perceptions regarding this concept. When reviewing the Western literature, researchers have generally associated the idea of self-criticism with psychopathology, while researchers in Eastern cultures typically interpret the notion of self-criticism positively. This qualitative study consists of three stages and uses open-ended questions to measure the perceptions of students from different graduate programs with regard to self-criticism. The researcher asked the students about their perceptions toward self-criticism in the first stage, questions about the concepts they’d associated with self-criticism in the second stage, and questions involving metaphors about what students liken to self-criticism in the third stage. Within the scope of the research, the researcher accessed 41 students for the first stage, 52 students for the second stage, and 32 students for the third stage. In all three studies conducted within the scope of this research, it was concluded that self-criticism is not perceived negatively in Turkish culture but rather evaluated as positive. Although there have been a few negative themes, self-criticism is generally perceived as a concept that brings people well. The most crucial aspect that makes this research valuable is that it provides a critical perspective on the pairing of self-criticism with psychological problems in the psychology literature. It is understood that self-criticism is seen as an essential source of individual development in Turkish culture rather than being the source of psychological problems. When the psychology literature is examined, it is seen that self-criticism is generally considered the trigger of psychological problems. Self-criticism is regarded as a situation that harms self-esteem. However, in eastern cultures, self-criticism is accepted as a prerequisite for a healthy identity. In this study, this conclusion was reached in three stages.

Keywords: Self-Criticism, Interview, Metaphor, Qualitative Research, Experience

How to Cite this Article?

APA 6th edition
Okan, N. (2023). Is Self-Criticism Really a Trigger of Psychological Problems? An Analysis of Self-Criticism in the Context of Turkish University Students . Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research, 18(1), 175-195. doi: 10.29329/epasr.2023.525.8

Harvard
Okan, N. (2023). Is Self-Criticism Really a Trigger of Psychological Problems? An Analysis of Self-Criticism in the Context of Turkish University Students . Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research, 18(1), pp. 175-195.

Chicago 16th edition
Okan, Nesrullah (2023). "Is Self-Criticism Really a Trigger of Psychological Problems? An Analysis of Self-Criticism in the Context of Turkish University Students ". Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research 18 (1):175-195. doi:10.29329/epasr.2023.525.8.

References

Abela, J. R. Z., Fishman, M. B., Cohen, J. R., & Young, J. F. (2012). Personality predispositions to depression in children of affectively-ill parents: The buffering role of self-esteem. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 41, 391–401. [Google Scholar]
Baer, R. A., Lykins, E. L. B., & Peters, J. R. (2012). Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 7, 230–238. [Google Scholar]
Beck, A. T. (1983). Cognitive therapy of depression: New perspectives. In P. J. Clayton & J. E. Barrett (Eds.), Treatment of depression: Old controversies and new approaches (pp. 265–290). Raven. [Google Scholar]
Bergner, R. M. (1995). Pathological self-criticism: Assessment and treatment. Springer. [Google Scholar]
Bertram, R. M., Blase, K., Shern, D., Shea, P., & Fixsen, D. (2011). Implementation opportunities and challenges for prevention and health promotion initiatives. National Association of State Mental Health Directors. [Google Scholar]
Blatt, S. J. (1974). Levels of object representation in anaclitic and introjective depression. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 29, 7–157. [Google Scholar]
Blatt, S. J. (2004). Experiences of depression: theoretical, clinical, and research perspectives. American Psychological Association. [Google Scholar]
Blatt, S. J., & Homann, E. (1992). Parent-child interaction in the etiology of dependent and self-critical depression. Clinical Psychology Review, 12, 47–91. [Google Scholar]
Blatt, S. J., & Zuroff, D. C. (1992). Interpersonal relatedness and self-definition: Two prototypes for depression. Clinical Psychology Review, 12, 527–562. [Google Scholar]
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment (2nd ed.). Basic Books. [Google Scholar]
Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss: Separation, anxiety and anger. Basic Books. [Google Scholar]
Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss (Vol. 3); Loss: Sadness and depression. Basic Books. [Google Scholar]
Campos, R. C., Besser, A., & Blatt, S. J. (2010). The mediating role of self-criticism and dependency in the association between perceptions of maternal caring and depressive symptoms. Depression and Anxiety, 27, 1149–1157. [Google Scholar]
Cantazaro, A., E. (2007). Adult attachment, dependence, self-criticism and depression: a test of a mediational model. Retrospective Theses and Dissertations #14533. Retrieved from https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/14533 [Google Scholar]
Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). Sage Publications. [Google Scholar]
Çam, O, & Akgün, E. (2007). Kişilerarası ilişkilerde çatışma ve çatışma yönetimi. Ege Üniversitesi Hemşirelik Fakültesi Dergisi, 23(2), 207–221. Retrieved from: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/egehemsire/issue/49599/635608 [Google Scholar]
Doğan, T., & Sapmaz, F. (2013). Öz-eleştiri ve mutluluk, Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi, 21(1), 391–400. [Google Scholar]
Ehret, A. M., Joormann, J., & Berking, M. (2015). Examining risk and resilience factors for depression: The role of self-criticism and self-compassion. Cognition and Emotion, 29(8), 1496–1504. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2014.992394. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
Ekiz, D. (2009). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri, (2nd ed.). Anı Yayıncılık. [Google Scholar]
Fein, S., Hoshino-Browne, E., Davies, P. G., & Spencer, S. J., (2013). Self-image maintenance goals and sociocultural norms in motivated social perception. In S. J. Spencer, S. Fein, M. P. Zanna, & J. M. Olson (Eds.), Motivated social perception: The Ontario symposium (pp. 21–44). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. [Google Scholar]
Greenberg, J., & Pyszczynski, T., (1985). Compensatory self-inflation: a response to the threat to self-regard of public failure. Journal Personal Social Psychology, 49(1), 273–280. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.49.1.273 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
Joeng, J. R., & Turner, S. L. (2015). Mediators between self-criticism and depression: Fear of compassion, self-compassion, and importance to others. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 62, 453–463. [Google Scholar]
Leary, M. R., (2007) Motivational and emotional aspects of the self. Annu. Rev. Psychol., 58(1), 317–344. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.58. 110405.085658 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
Lerman, S. F., Shahar, G., & Rudich, Z. (2012). Self-criticism interacts with the affective component of pain to predict depressive symptoms in female patients. European Journal of Pain, 16, 115–122. [Google Scholar]
Lozano, E. B., & Laurent, S. M., (2019.) The effect of admitting fault versus shifting blame on expectations for others to do the same. PLOS One, 14(3), e0213276. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
Mendelson, T., Robins, C. J., & Johnson, C. S. (2002). Relations of sociotropy and autonomy to developmental experiences among psychiatric patients. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 26, 189–198. [Google Scholar]
Mongrain, M., & Zuroff, D. C. (1995). Motivational and affective correlates of dependency and self-criticism. Journal of Personality and Individual Differences, 18, 347–354. [Google Scholar]
Murphy, B., & Bates, G.W. (1997). Adult attachment style and vulnerability to depression. Personality and Individual Differences, 22, 835–844. [Google Scholar]
Neff, K. D. (2003). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2, 223–250. [Google Scholar]
Okan, N. Okan, N. (2021). Öz Eleştiri (Self-criticism). Eğitimde Öz (1. baskı) içinde (s. 75-98). Kriter Yayınevi. [Google Scholar]
Ozcan, M. (2020). Teachers’ Evaluation on School Principals’ Supervision. Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research, 15(2), 303-321. https://doi.org//10.29329/epasr.2020.251.17 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. Sage Publication. [Google Scholar]
Patton, M. Q. (2014). Nitel araştırma ve değerlendirme yöntemleri [Qualitative research and evaluation methods] (M. Bütün & S. B. Demir, Trans.). A Pegem Akademi. [Google Scholar]
Peterson, C., & Barrett, L. C. (1987). Explanatory style and academic performance among university freshman. Journal of Personal Social Psychology, 53(3), 603–607. [Google Scholar]
Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55, 5–14. [Google Scholar]
Silman, F. & Şimşek, H. (2006). Türkiye ve Amerika Birleşik Devletleri okulları ve merkezi eğitim kurumlarına mecazlar yoluyla bir bakış. Eğitim Araştırmaları, 23, 177–187. [Google Scholar]
Snyder, M., (1987). Public appearances/public realities: the psychology of self-monitoring. Freeman. [Google Scholar]
Terry, M. L., Leary, M. R., & Mehta, S. (2013). Self-compassion as a buffer against homesickness, depression, and dissatisfaction in the transition to college. Self and Identity, 12, 278–290. [Google Scholar]
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. [Google Scholar]
Turkish Language Association. (2020). Self-criticism. Definition retrieved from www.tdk.gov.tr [Google Scholar]
Yamaguchi, A., & Kim, M.-S. (2013). Effects of self-criticism and its relationship with depression across cultures. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 5(1), 1–10. [Google Scholar]
Yaylak, E. (2020). Opinions of Secondary School Students with Interactive Social Studies Notebooks (ISSN) on Values Development. EducationalPolicy Analysis and Strategic Research, 15(3), 33-55. https://doi.org/10.29329/epasr.2020.270.2 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2013). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri. (9th ed.). Seçkin Yayınları. [Google Scholar]
Zhang, H., Neelarambam, K., Schwenke, T., Rhodes, M. N., Pittman, D., & Kaslow, N. J. (2013). Mediators of a culturally-sensitive intervention for suicidal African American women. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 20, 401–414. [Google Scholar]

Volume 18 Issue 1

March 2023

All Articles