Criticality and Emotional Over Involvement as Contributory Factors to Psychopathology

Abstract

Expressed Emotion (EE) research has indicated that the components of EE contribute differently to psychopathology. As the components of EE reflect different attitudes of the caregiver or relatives, therefore influencing the behavior of the individual in different ways. Studies that looked at independently studying the components of EE lead to the finding that Hostility is not a significant predictor of psychopathology on its own, since it rarely exists in the absence of Critically, thereby making hostility an extension of the dimension of Criticality. Thus this review aims at highlighting the contributions of the two primary components of expressed emotions, namely Criticality and Emotional involvement to the development of psychopathology.