Scale Overview
The Sensitivity to Put-Down Scale – SPD was developed by Paul Gilbert & Jeremy N. V. Miles (2000). It is designed to measure Sensitivity to put-down and social criticism. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 20 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Anxiety/Distress, Anger/Irritability, Blame Self, Blame Others.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Anxiety/Distress |
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 |
20 |
| Anger/Irritability |
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 |
20 |
| Blame Self |
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 |
20 |
| Blame Others |
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 |
20 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all, 2 = Somewhat, 3 = Rather, 4 = Very, 5 = Extremely.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 20 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Sensitivity/Blame: 20 – 49
- Moderate Sensitivity/Blame: 50 – 79
- High Sensitivity/Blame: 80 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha > 0.90 for all subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.