ResearchChannel
June Tangney, professor of psychology at
George Mason University, delves into shame and guilt by looking into
various facets of our society such as the criminal justice system,
children, families, incarcerated offenders, teachers and parents. Shame
and guilt are often mentioned in the same breath as moral emotions that
inhibit destructive, socially unacceptable behaviors, but how similar
are these two emotions? Recent research indicates that guilt is the
more adaptive emotion and can motivate people to behave in a moral,
caring, socially responsible manner. In contrast, feelings of shame
(about the self) can easily go awry. Discover more about this intriguing
research, what it reveals and how it relates to our society.
