It is assumed that schemas develop as a result of early experiences with attachment figures. Based on this theoretical framework, Young and colleagues (1991; 2003) developed assessment tools for the evaluation of early maladaptive schemas.
On the basis of the conceptualizations mentioned above, Young Parenting Scale (YPS), developed by Young (1994), assesses various parenting styles that form the basis of early maladaptive schemas. The items in the original form are Emotional Deprivation, Abandonment/Instability, Insecurity/Abuse, Resilience in the Face of Illness and Threats, Dependence/Inadequacy, Imperfection/Shame, Failure, High Standards/Excessive Criticism, Self-Sacrifice, EntitlementThe Young Parenting Scale (YPS) is associated with schemas of grandiosity, inadequate self-control, introjection/underdeveloped self, pessimism, suppression of emotions, punishment, approval seeking and submissiveness, and social isolation/alienation.
Young Parenting Scale (YPS). The YPS consists of 72 items and includes various behaviors of parents that are thought to form the basis of early maladaptive schemas. In the instructions, the participant is asked to rate the behaviors describing his/her parents on a scale from 1 (completely wrong) to 6 (completely agreeing with him/her) as best describing both mother and father during childhood. Since low scores on the first five items representing the Emotional Deprivation schema represent parenting styles that contribute to the formation of the schema, these 5 items are reverse scored. Highly scored items indicate negative parenting attitudes towards early maladaptive schema formation. The original form of the scale consists of 17 sub-dimensions corresponding to the parenting styles that are thought to form the basis of 17 early maladaptive schemas. These dimensions are Emotional Deprivation ("he was warm and physically affectionate towards me", this item is reverse scored), which refers to the expectation that emotional needs will not be met by others; Abandonment/Instability ("abandoned me or left me alone for long periods of time"); that others will use, hurt, lie, deceive, demean, cynicize, and use them for personal gain whenever they have the opportunity.Insecurity/Abuse related to the expectation that he/she will humiliate or manipulate ("he/she beat me, emotionally or sexually abused me"); that at any moment there will be disasters that he/she will not be able to cope with("he was overprotective of me"); Dependency/Inadequacy ("he was dependent on others"), which refers to the belief that one is unable to fulfill daily responsibilities without the help of others or that one is dependent on others.he did most of my work without letting me do it on my own"); Defectiveness/Shame related to feeling defective, bad, unworthy, inferior and unlovable ("he made me feel unlovable or like an outcast")); Failure related to the belief that he/she is more incompetent than others in various areas of life and will inevitably fail ("believed that I will fail in life")); to internalize various highly unattainable standards in order to avoid various negative emotions and disapproval, and to be critical because of these standards.High Standards/High Criticism ("he was a perfectionist in many areas; according to him, everything had to be as it should be"); he tried to meet the needs of others at the expense of his own needs.self-sacrifice ("she was always unhappy; she always leaned on me for support and understanding"); Entitlement/Experience, the belief that she is superior to other people and therefore has various privileges and special rightsburdensomeness ("he didn't teach me that I have responsibilities to other people"); Poor Self-Control related to the inability to control your impulses and emotions ("he gave me very few rules or responsibilities")); the Intimacy/Undeveloped Self, which refers to being intertwined with significant others to the extent that it prevents individuation and the lack of a sense of one's own identity ("he has a very strong I was not able to determine my own direction growing up because of being a human being"); Pessimism related to focusing on the negative aspects of life and the expectation that things will go badly in various areas of life ("badhe had an optimistic outlook, he always expected the worst"); Suppression of Emotions ("he was a closed person; he rarely opened his feelings"); Suppression of Emotions ("when I did wrong, he would call me stupid or stupid"); Suppression of Self-Esteem ("he was a closed person; he rarely opened his feelings"); Punishment, related to the belief that people who make mistakes should be harshly punished for their mistakes ("when I did wrong, he would call me stupid or idiot"); self-esteemApproval Seeking, which refers to trying to gain the approval of others in order to be successful ("he would love me more or care for me more when I was successful"), and Approval Seeking, which refers to fear of abandonment, fear oft is related to the schemas of submissiveness ("he acted as if my actions or wishes were unimportant"), which are related to relinquishing control to others in order to avoid resentment or harm.