TY - JOUR
T1 - The social side of shame
T2 - approach versus withdrawal
AU - de Hooge, Ilona E.
AU - Breugelmans, Seger M.
AU - Wagemans, Fieke M.A.
AU - Zeelenberg, Marcel
PY - 2018/1/5
Y1 - 2018/1/5
N2 - At present, the consequences and functions of experiences of shame are not yet well understood. Whereas psychology literature typically portrays shame as being bad for social relations, motivating social avoidance and withdrawal, there are recent indications that shame can be reinterpreted as having clear social tendencies in the form of motivating approach and social affiliation. Yet, until now, no research has ever put these alternative interpretations of shame-motivated behaviours directly to the test. The present paper presents such a test by studying the extent to which shame motivates a preference for social withdrawal versus a preference for social approach. Two studies (N = 148 and N = 133) using different shame inductions both showed people experiencing shame to prefer to be together with others (social approach) over being alone (social withdrawal). In addition, the preference for a social situation was found to be unique for shame; it was not found for the closely related emotion of guilt. Taken together, these findings provide direct empirical support for the idea that shame can have positive interpersonal consequences.
AB - At present, the consequences and functions of experiences of shame are not yet well understood. Whereas psychology literature typically portrays shame as being bad for social relations, motivating social avoidance and withdrawal, there are recent indications that shame can be reinterpreted as having clear social tendencies in the form of motivating approach and social affiliation. Yet, until now, no research has ever put these alternative interpretations of shame-motivated behaviours directly to the test. The present paper presents such a test by studying the extent to which shame motivates a preference for social withdrawal versus a preference for social approach. Two studies (N = 148 and N = 133) using different shame inductions both showed people experiencing shame to prefer to be together with others (social approach) over being alone (social withdrawal). In addition, the preference for a social situation was found to be unique for shame; it was not found for the closely related emotion of guilt. Taken together, these findings provide direct empirical support for the idea that shame can have positive interpersonal consequences.
KW - approach behaviour
KW - guilt
KW - interpersonal behaviour
KW - Shame
KW - social withdrawal
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85043359140&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85043359140&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/02699931.2017.1422696
DO - 10.1080/02699931.2017.1422696
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85043359140
SN - 0269-9931
VL - 32
SP - 1671
EP - 1677
JO - Cognition and Emotion
JF - Cognition and Emotion
IS - 8
ER -