Validation of the Korean Version of the Humiliation Inventory

Abstract

The Humiliation Inventory (HI) was developed by Hartling and Luchetta(1999) to assess the internal experience of humiliation. The aim of this study is to validate the Korean version of HI (K-HI). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on the data of 252 adults (Mean age= 34.83, SD= 7.6) to check factorial validation. After 10 items that cross-loaded onto two factors were removed, three factors of 22 items were confirmed. Based on the EFA, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on the data of 253 adults (Mean age= 34.12, SD= 8.5) to test the stability and generalization of the factor structure. The original Inventory had two subscales: “fear of humiliation” (F1), and “cumulative humiliation” (F2). When a third factor, “humiliation of incompetence” (F3), was added to K-HI, the model fit (TLI= .90, CFI= .91, RMSEA= .09) was better than that of the two-factor model. This result may reflect cultural distinctiveness. Korea is a highly competitive society,-; therefore, “fear of humiliation” and “humiliation of incompetence” may have different meanings among the Korean people. Also, K-HI exhibited appropriate concurrent validity. It correlated with Internalized Shame positively and with Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem negatively. Assuming that humiliation correlates with anger and aggression, correlation analyses were carried out with the State-Trait Anger Expression. They showed significantly positive correlations and demonstrated the clinical utility of K-HI. Cronbach’s αs of the three factors were good (F1= .96, F2= .94, F3= .81). K-HI is expected to be used in the studies of other themes, such as anger, aggression, depression, suicide, and psychotherapy.”