#308 Guilt vs Shame, Self-conscious Emotions with Important Differences

     "social scientists have expended considerable effort formulating precise conceptual definitions of shame and guilt that underscore their critical differences. 

     the object of negative evaluation is different in shame versus guilt. In shame, the entire self is the central focus of negative evaluation (eg “Look at what an awful person I am”), whereas in guilt, specific behaviors represent the central focus of negative evaluation (eg “Look at the awful thing I did”). Shame strikes at the core of a person’s identity, and as a result, forces the individual to contemplate the possibility of a defective, unworthy, or damaged self. Guilt, on the other hand, leaves identity intact by implicating only specific behaviors. 

      differences in the attentional focus arising from shame versus guilt have been shown to exert strong influences on subsequent interpersonal behavior. That is, the internally directed attention to perceived defects in shame yields a preoccupation with one’s own personal distress at the expense of interpersonal attentiveness and empathic understanding. In contrast, the outwardly directed attention to troublesome behavior in guilt facilitates other-oriented distress arising from acknowledgment of the deleterious effects of behavior on others. Consistent with this view, guilt has been consistently linked to relationship-enhancing qualities, such as a greater ability to adopt the perspective of another person. In short, shame involves internally focused attention to one’s own emotional pain, whereas guilt involves externally focused attention to the emotional pain of other people. In parallel fashion, shame disrupts interpersonal sensitivity whereas guilt enhances it."

Kim S, Thibodeau R, Jorgensen RS. Shame, guilt, and depressive symptoms: A meta-analytic review. Psychol Bull 2011; 137(1): 68-96.

     See also: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2013/04/self-conscious-shame-guilt-and-basic.html