FIGURE 12.1b: The relationship between age and self-criticism in over 300 Canadian adults ranging in age from 19 to 59, recruited from the Internet: In this study, when people of different ages were asked to respond to items such as “There is a big difference between how I am and how I want to be,” far fewer people (especially men) gave self-critical ratings at each of the older ages.

Data from: Kopala-Sibley, Mongrain, & Zuroff, 2013, p. 135.