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Inappropriate and excessive guilt: instrument validation and developmental differences in relation to depression
Carlos Tilghman-Osborne1, David A Cole, Julia W Felton
1Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203-5721, USA.
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
|November 17, 2011
Summary
This study introduces the Inappropriate and Excessive Guilt Scale (IEGS) for youth, validating its use in assessing guilt symptoms related to depression. Findings show IEGS is a reliable measure, with guilt decreasing in normative expression as children age.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Inappropriate or excessive guilt is a recognized symptom of depression.
- Existing guilt measures face definitional and operational challenges, particularly in youth.
- A validated scale is needed to assess guilt in childhood and adolescence.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce and validate the Inappropriate and Excessive Guilt Scale (IEGS) for children and adolescents.
- Examine the relationship between inappropriate and excessive guilt and depression across development.
- Assess the IEGS's psychometric properties, including validity and reliability.
Main Methods:
- Developed the Inappropriate and Excessive Guilt Scale (IEGS).
- Administered the IEGS to a sample of 370 children aged 7–16 years.
- Conducted validity analyses (convergent, discriminant, construct, incremental) and examined age-related changes.
Main Results:
- Items assessing inappropriate and excessive guilt formed a single underlying factor.
- The IEGS demonstrated convergent, discriminant, and construct validity in a general youth sample.
- The IEGS showed incremental validity over other guilt measures.
- Inappropriate and excessive guilt, along with negative cognitive errors, decreased with age.
Conclusions:
- The IEGS is a valid and reliable measure for assessing inappropriate and excessive guilt in youth.
- The scale aids in understanding the developmental trajectory of guilt and its association with depression.
- Findings highlight the importance of age-appropriate assessment of guilt symptoms in clinical and research settings.
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