Shame and Guilt [Hardcover]

Shame and guilt, while the focus of attention among scholars and clinicians for generations, have only recently been subjected to systematic empirical scrutiny. This volume reports on the growing body of knowledge on these key self-conscious emotions, integrating findings from the authors' original research program with other data emerging from social, clinical, personality, and developmental psychology. Writing in an engaging, accessible style, June Price Tangney and Ronda L. Dearing offer a coherent new scientific perspective on shame and guilt. Compelling evidence is presented to demonstrate that these universally experienced affective phenomena have significant--and surprisingly disparate--implications for many aspects of human functioning, with particular relevance for interpersonal relationships.

Among the human emotions, shame and guilt have been relatively neglected by psychologists and other behavioral scientists. Moreover, work on these topics has been hampered by fuzzy conceptualization, armchair theorizing, and inadequate reliance on empirical research. In one fell swoop, Tangney and Dearing have remedied this situation. Drawing upon a broad array of theory and research in social, personality, developmental, and clinical psychology (including the first author's 15-year program of research), Shame and Guilt is an outstanding work of scholarship, as meticulously researched as it is interesting and readable. It will become an instant classic in the literature on emotion. --Mark R. Leary, PhD, Wake Forest University

This important and readable book represents the culmination of years of work by the world's foremost expert on shame and guilt. In clear, straightforward prose, it brings the reader through the tortured history of ideas on the topic, through the first author's definitive research program and the accumulated findings of many others, and provides a powerful understanding of how these affective experiences shape human life. Slc2