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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
An Empirical Investigation Of The Adaptive Nature Of Shame, Elizabeth Jacqueline Dansie
An Empirical Investigation Of The Adaptive Nature Of Shame, Elizabeth Jacqueline Dansie
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Throughout the empirical psychological literature on emotion, the general consensus is that shame is maladaptive, while guilt is the adaptive moral emotion. Conversely, evolutionary psychology concludes that all emotions serve adaptive functions. Specifically, shame serves an appeasement function in social relationships. In order to investigate the true nature of shame, the current study used an experimental design. Specifically, a 2 (high shame, no shame) X 2 (high guilt, no guilt) design with a no-mistakes control group was implemented, and shame and guilt were operationalized through an evolutionary lens (i.e., shame as a nonverbal display, guilt as verbalizations of apology). Participants …