Individual differences and relationship contexts in the perception and response to criticism: an emotion and family systems perspective

Abstract

Criticism is a common term in our lexicon and an unavoidable aspect of our everyday social interactions. Given the prevalence of criticism encountered in social interactions on a regular basis along with its association with mental well-being and relationship outcomes, examining the factors affecting the perception and response to criticism is important in better understanding how we navigate the social threat posed by criticism. This thesis integrates emotion, cultural and family systems perspectives and methods in investigating the effect of individual differences and relational contexts on perceptions and responses to criticism. First, the thesis outlines studies investigating criticism occurring in social interactions across different relationship types. A study on the emotional response towards criticism across relational contexts including romantic partners, parents, and workplace supervisors is discussed in Chapter 2. The results indicated significantly higher levels of relational distancing in response to criticism in individuals with high levels of perceived criticism and significant differences in relational distancing across relational contexts. Second, the thesis focuses on the link between relationships within the family unit and criticism. A cross-cultural comparison of the effect of parental bonding on the perception and response to criticism conducted in Singapore, Italy and USA is discussed in Chapter 3, followed by a study investigating perceptions of parental criticism across generations and the relationship with perceptions of spousal criticism and marital relationship outcomes in Chapter 4. Parental bonding measures and country were found to significantly predict tendencies to perceive criticism as destructive in the study in Chapter 3. Parental bonding measures were also found to predict perceptions of parental criticism and spousal criticism, with results suggesting intergeneration continuity in perceptions of parental criticism in the study in Chapter 4. The findings from these studies in the thesis provide evidence and insight from multiple perspectives in illustrating differences in how criticism is perceived and responded to as a function of the interplay of individual factors and relational contexts that the criticism occurs in and how they influence one’s relationships, especially those in the family unit.