Development of Self-Criticism in Adolescent Girls: Roles of Maternal Dissatisfaction,Maternal Coldness,and Insecure Attachment

A model of the development of self-criticism in adolescent girls is proposed, in which maternal dissatisfaction leads to maternal coldness. Maternal coldness in turn leads to insecure attachment in the daughter, which leads to self-criticism. This model was supported in a sample of 54 early adolescent girls and their mothers. The relationship between maternal dissatisfaction and daughter attachment was mediated by maternal coldness. The relationship between maternal coldness and daughter self-criticism was mediated by daughter attachment. The implications of these findings for theory and future research are discussed.