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Defend or repair? Explaining responses to in-group moral failure by disentangling feelings of shame, rejection, and inferiority

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 12:42 authored by Nicolay Gausel, Colin Wayne Leach, Vivian VignolesVivian Vignoles, Rupert Brown
Research on shame about in-group moral failure has yielded paradoxical results. In some studies, shame predicts self-defensive motivations to withdraw. In other studies, shame predicts pro-social motivations, such as restitution. We think that this paradox can be explained by disentangling the numerous appraisals and feelings subsumed under the label “shame.” In 2 studies, we asked community samples of Norwegians about their in-group's discrimination against the Tater minority. Confirmatory factor analysis validated the measures of the appraisals and feelings used in Study 1 ( N = 206) and Study 2 ( N = 173). In both studies, an appraisal of the in-group as suffering a moral defect best predicted felt shame, whereas an appraisal of concern for condemnation of the in-group best predicted felt rejection. In both studies, felt rejection best predicted self-defensive motivation, whereas felt shame best predicted pro-social motivation. Implications for conceptualizing and studying shame are discussed.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

ISSN

0022-3514

Publisher

American Psychological Association

Issue

5

Volume

102

Page range

941-960

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-10-18

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