Schema Domain: Excessive Responsibility And Standards
What’s new?
Our schema series includes three information handouts which provide detailed explanations of schemas within the excessive responsibility and standards domain.
Schema therapy
Schema therapy is an evidence-based, integrative therapy developed for treating complex and longstanding difficulties. It is based on the idea many psychological and relational problems stem from early maladaptive schemas (EMS) and how individuals cope with them. Schema therapy expands on CBT by exploring the developmental origins of psychological problems and addressing the maladaptive ‘coping styles’ that perpetuate them.
Schema therapy concepts can be difficult for clients to grasp. Here, we introduce another set of information handouts for schemas belonging to the excessive responsibility and standards schema domain.
Excessive responsibility and standards domain
Jeffrey Young (1990) originally described 15 schemas, which were later expanded to 18 (Young et al., 2003). These schemas were grouped into hypothetical ‘schema domains’, each associated with specific unmet emotional needs. Initially, these domains were disconnection and rejection, impaired autonomy and performance, impaired limits, other-directedness, overvigiliance and inhibition (Young et al., 2003). However, subsequent research has suggested a more parsimonious categorisation of four schema domains (Bach et al., 2018; Hoffart et al., 2005; Mącik & Mącik, 2022). These refined domains are disconnection and rejection, excessive responsibility and standards, impaired autonomy and performance, and impaired limits.
Schemas in the excessive responsibility and standards domain are associated with adhering to strict internalized standards and expectations, often at the expense of personal needs such as joy, rest, self-expression, and close relationships. Individuals with schemas in this domain may also impose these standards and expectations on others. Schemas in this domain are described below.
Punitiveness
People with a punitiveness schema treat themselves or other people very harshly. They find it difficult to accept that mistakes happen and struggle to forgive. Some people with this schema are very self-critical, while others are impatient and intolerant toward others. Punitiveness (also referred to as ‘self-punitiveness’; Bach et al., 2018) was originally grouped with EMS in the overvigilance and inhibition domain (Young et al., 2003). However, subsequent research indicates that it is better categorized in the excessive responsibility and standards domain (Bach et al., 2018), as it is characterized by adherence to strict, internalized rules and expectations (Young, 2014).
Self-Sacrifice
People with a self-sacrifice schema prioritize the needs of others and feel uncomfortable when they put themselves first. They are often sensitive to other people’s difficulties and feel responsible for fixing them. In the long term, self-sacrifice can lead to exhaustion, self-neglect, and resentment for giving too much. Self-sacrifice was originally grouped with EMS in the other-directedness domain (Young et al., 2003), but subsequent research indicates that it is better categorized in the excessive responsibility and standards domain (Bach et al., 2018).
Unrelenting Standards
People with unrelenting standards strive to meet very high expectations, which can lead to intense pressure and self-criticism, as well as criticism toward others. They are rarely satisfied with their achievements and often feel anxious about failing or being judged negatively by others. Unrelenting standards (previously referred to as unrelenting standards/hypercriticalness) was originally grouped with EMS in the overvigiliance and inhibition domain (Young et al., 2003). However, subsequent research indicates it is better categorized as belonging to the ‘excessive responsibility and standards’ domain (Bach et al., 2018).
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References
- Bach, B., Lockwood, G., & Young, J. E. (2018). A new look at the schema therapy model: organization and role of early maladaptive schemas. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 47, 328-349. DOI: 10.1080/16506073.2017.1410566.
- Hoffart, A., Sexton, H., Hedley, L. M., Wang, C. E., Holthe, H., Haugum, J. A., Nordahl, H. M., Hovland, O. J., & Holte, A. (2005). The structure of maladaptive schemas: A confirmatory factor analysis and a psychometric evaluation of factor-derived scales. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 29, 627-644. DOI: 10.1007/s10608-005-9630-0.
- Mącik, D., & Mącik, R. (2022). Are four maladaptive schema domains a better option than five? Recommendations based on comparison of the latent structure of schemas on a large group of healthy adults. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 50, 334-344. DOI: 10.1017/S1352465821000539.
- Young, J. E. (1990). Cognitive therapy for personality disorders: A schema-focused approach. Practitioner’s Resource Exchange.
- Young, J. E. (2014). Early maladaptive schemas. Schema Therapy Institute, New York.
- Young, J. E., Klosko, J. S., & Weishaar, M. E. (2003). Schema therapy: A practitioner’s guide. Guilford Press.