Sensitivity to Put-Down Scale – SPD
Measures individual sensitivity to criticism and social put-down, assessing emotional responses (distress and anger) and cognitive attributions (self-blame and other-blame) across various social situations.
Scale Development & Technical Details
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. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 80 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Distress, Anger/Irritability, Blame Self, Blame Others.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Distress | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | 20 |
| Anger/Irritability | 21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40 | 20 |
| Blame Self | 41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60 | 20 |
| Blame Others | 61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80 | 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 (per subscale): 20 – 45
- Moderate Sensitivity (per subscale): 46 – 75
- High Sensitivity (per subscale): 76 – 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 each of the four subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.