Shame, guilt, and facial emotion processing: initial evidence for a positive relationship between guilt-proneness and facial emotion recognition ability

SHARP wit: Why receiving sarcasm improves perspective-taking

Despite its use of opposing expressions, sarcasm is often used to communicate a speaker's viewpoint. The current analysis explores whether and when sarcasm increases the recipients' understanding. We propose a theoretical model-the SHARP model-that specifies how sarcasm often helps activate perspective-taking. Our model proposes that sarcasm can provide the cognitive readiness and the motivational drive that enable recipients to see the world from the speaker's viewpoint. Building off findings in psychology and sociology, we hypothesize that sarcasm activates two precursors to perspective-taking: deliberate processing and open-mindedness. We also discuss three moderators that can reduce sarcasm's positive effects and even turn them negative. We call on future research to empirically test the SHARP model.

Centrality depression-anxiety symptoms linked to suicidal ideation among depressed college students--A network approach

The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused severe mental health problems among college students, which can eventually cause suicidal ideation. Therefore, through network analysis, this study aims to explore the new characteristics of the depression-anxiety symptom network that arose during the long-term lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the most influential symptoms linked to suicidal ideation. We used a Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score above 10 as the cutoff and screened 622 participants with an inclination toward depressive disorders from 7976 college students, and then divided the sample into suicidal and nonsuicidal groups based on the presence or absence of suicidal ideation. The General Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) was also used. Network analysis was used to identify the network structure of anxiety-depression and which symptoms were directly related to suicidal ideation in the network. The prevalence of depression and anxiety among Chinese college students in the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic was 7.8% and 17.8%, respectively. The most central symptoms in the nonsuicidal group were "excessive worry," "uncontrollable worry," and "nervousness," and in the suicidal group they were "excessive worry," "motor function," and "irritability." The network of the suicidal group was denser than that of the nonsuicidal group. The most influential symptom directly related to suicidal ideation was "guilt." The most influential central symptom of depression-anxiety comorbidity characteristics of Chinese adolescents showed a tendency to shift from depression-oriented (i.e., sad mood) to anxiety-oriented (i.e., excessive worry) with the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Treatments or interventions focused on these critical symptoms could be useful in preventing college students from suicide risk.

Frontal lobe-related cognition in the context of self-disgust

Self- disgust is an adverse self-conscious emotion that plays an important role in psychopathology and well-being. However, self-disgust has received little attention in the emotion literature, therefore our understanding of the processes underlying the experience of self-disgust is relatively scarce, although neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies support the idea that this emotion may heavily rely on frontal lobe-related cognition. To test this hypothesis, in two studies we investigated the relationship between state and trait levels of self-disgust, cognition and emotion regulation in healthy adults. Specifically, in Study 1 we tested the hypothesis that emotion regulation strategies (avoidance, suppression, and cognitive reappraisal) mediate the relationship between inhibition ability and state and trait levels of self-disgust. In Study 2, we followed a more comprehensive approach to test the hypothesis that frontal lobe-related cognitive processes (updating, Theory of Mind-ToM-, and self-attention) are closely related to the experience of self-disgust in healthy adults. Overall, across these studies, we found evidence to support the idea that inhibition ability and ToM may play a role in the experience of state and trait self-disgust, respectively. However, we did not find consistent evidence across the two studies to support the notion held in the literature that the experience of self- conscious emotions, in this case self-disgust, is heavily dependent on frontal lobe-related cognition.

See the self through others' eyes: The development of moral emotions in young children with autism spectrum disorder

Despite the important social functions of moral emotions, they are understudied in the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population. This three-wave longitudinal study is among the first to examine the development of moral emotions and their associations with theory of mind in 3- to 7-year-old children with ASD, using observational tasks. One hundred and forty-two children (52 with ASD) were followed over a period of 2 years. We found that while the expressions of shame and guilt remained stable in non-ASD children, they decreased with age in children with ASD. No group differences were found in the levels or the developmental trajectories of pride. Besides, better false-belief understanding was uniquely related to the expressions of pride in children with ASD. Our findings highlight the importance of enhancing understanding of moral emotion development and related factors in children with ASD.

Self-forgiveness is associated with increased volumes of fusiform gyrus in healthy individuals

Self-forgiveness (SF) involves a process through which negative moral emotions directed at the self are replaced by benevolence and acceptance. Lower SF scores can be associated with less self-compassion, higher psychological distress, and lower life dissatisfaction. However, neural correlates of SF have not been investigated yet. We enrolled a total of 79 healthy individuals. The Self-Forgiveness Scale (SFS), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were evaluated. Voxel-wise correlational analyses showed a significant positive correlation between the total SFS scores and gray matter volumes (GMVs) in the fusiform gyrus (FG). In addition, the GMVs in the FG were significantly positively associated with the total SCS and CD-RISC scores and negatively correlated with the total BDI-II and BAI scores. These findings suggest that the FG related to the mirror neuron system might be a neural correlate of SF. Furthermore, its increased volumes of FG in healthy individuals can be associated with the capacity to overcome stressful life events.

A Mediation Moderation Model between Self-Evaluative Emotions and Relapse Rate among Polysubstance Users: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

A substantial portion of drug abuse research has concentrated on people with a single-substance-use disorder (SSUD), but many people abuse more than one drug. Studies have yet to examine how those with polysubstance-use disorder (PSUD) differ from those with an SSUD on the risk of relapse, self-evaluative emotions (e.g., shame and guilt), and personality factors (e.g., self-efficacy). Eleven rehab facilities in Lahore city, Pakistan were randomly chosen to provide a sample of 402 males with PSUD. For comparison, 410 age-matched males with SSUD were enlisted using a demographic form with eight questions, the State Shame and Guilt Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Mediated moderation analysis was performed using Hayes' process macro. The results demonstrate that shame-proneness is positively associated with relapse rate. Guilt-proneness mediates the relationship between shame-proneness and relapse rate. Self-efficacy buffers the influence of shame-proneness on relapse rate. Although the mediation and moderation effects were found in both study groups, these effects were significantly stronger among people with PSUD than those with SSUD. To be more specific, people with PSUD reported a higher overall score on shame, guilt, and relapse rate. Additionally, people with SSUD indicated a higher score on self-efficacy than those with PSUD. The findings of this study suggest that drug rehab facilities should implement a variety of strategies to raise drug users' levels of self-efficacy, which will help to reduce their risk of relapse.

Effects of a Digital Game-Based Course in Building Adolescents' Knowledge and Social-Emotional Competencies

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a digital game-based course to build domain knowledge and social emotional competencies of empathy and compassion in adolescents. Materials and Methods: The study used a digital game Bury me, my Love with an accompanying course which was administered to 201 participants between ages 13-18 across United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India. Standardized self-reports were used to score participants on measures of knowledge and attitudes, empathy, and compassion before and after the intervention. Mixed analyses of variance were conducted with 1 between-subjects factor (gender) and 1 within-subjects factor (time) to determine the impact of the intervention, followed by post hoc t-tests. Results: Increased effects of intervention were obtained for both knowledge and social emotional learning in both UAE and India. Specifically, there was a significant increase in awareness of migration and refugees in both India (P < 0.001) and UAE (P < 0.001). Interesting effects of gender were seen in which females in both countries showed increases in compassion from others (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study opens a new window in game-based learning. The design of a structured course with learning outcomes that are centered around a digital game establishes its potential to create engaging and accessible solutions to simultaneously build domain knowledge and social-emotional competencies in adolescents.

Visuospatial perspective shifting and relational self-association in dispositional shame and guilt

Although dispositional shame and guilt have been distinguished by perceptions of the self and behavioral responses, the underlying information processing patterns remain unclear. We hypothesized that an ability to contemplate alternatives to perceptions of the current environment, i.e., flexibility in perspective shifting, may be essential to both dispositions. Dispositional shame may additionally relate to negative relational knowledge that involves a self-representation of being rejected. One hundred and six community participants rated the two dispositions, and had their flexibility in perspective shifting and internalized self-association with rejection assessed. Regression analysis indicated that a lower cost of perspective shifting was observed with dispositional guilt and shame. Yet, unlike a direct association with perspective shifting for dispositional guilt, it was an interaction between perspective shifting and negative relational knowledge that accounted for dispositional shame. The association of dispositional shame with perspective shifting was contingent upon the tendency to pair the self with rejection.

Athlete Experiences of Shame and Guilt: Initial Psychometric Properties of the Athletic Perceptions of Performance Scale Within Junior Elite Cricketers

Guilt and shame are self-conscious emotions with implications for mental health, social and occupational functioning, and the effectiveness of sports practice. To date, the assessment and role of athlete-specific guilt and shame has been under-researched. Reporting data from 174 junior elite cricketers (M = 17.34 years; females n = 85), the present study utilized exploratory factor analysis in validating the Athletic Perceptions of Performance Scale (APPS), assessing three distinct and statistically reliable factors: athletic shame-proneness, guilt-proneness, and no-concern. Conditional process analysis indicated that APPS shame-proneness mediated the relationship between general and athlete-specific distress (p < 0.01), with this pathway non-contingent on sex or past 12-month help-seeking for mental health concerns (p's > 0.05). While APPS domains of guilt-proneness and no-concern were not significant mediators, they exhibited correlations in the expected direction with indices of psychological distress and well-being. The APPS may assist coaches and support staff identify players who may benefit from targeted interventions to reduce the likelihood of experiencing shame-prone states.

Shame, guilt, and suicidal thoughts: The interaction matters

OBJECTIVES

This study examined associations between generalized shame and guilt, and suicidal ideation.

METHODS

Individuals attending outpatient mental health services (N = 100) completed study measures at a single time point. Correlation and regression analyses examined associations between recent suicidal ideation and generalized shame and guilt, both concurrently and interacting, controlling for depressive symptoms and history of previous suicide attempt.

RESULTS

When examined concurrently, guilt - but not shame - remained significantly associated with suicidal ideation, after accounting for effects of depressive symptoms and past suicide attempt. A significant shame × guilt interaction revealed the association between guilt and suicidal ideation intensified with higher shame.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings emphasize consideration of generalized shame and guilt - and their interaction - when working with patients exhibiting suicidal thoughts.

PRACTITIONER POINTS

Shame and guilt are self-conscious emotions that, when generalized and excessive, may confer risk for suicidal ideation Generalized guilt may be uniquely linked with suicidal ideation, yet this association may also amplified by shame Both shame and guilt - and their interaction - are important to consider when working with patients exhibiting suicidal thoughts.

Aware and tuned to care: Children with better distress recognition and higher sympathy anticipate more guilt after harming others

Helping children recognize the distress of their victims and feel sympathy may facilitate the optimal socialization of ethical guilt. With a sample of 150 eight-year-olds, we tested the main and interactive relations of distress recognition and sympathy to ethical guilt after hypothetically stealing and pushing. Better fear recognition and higher sympathy were uniquely associated with higher ethical guilt. The link between fear recognition and ethical guilt was stronger in children with higher sympathy. Beyond their unique contributions, distress recognition and sympathy may work in concert to facilitate ethical guilt after harming others. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject Children are thought to express more guilt if they recognize their victims' distress and feel sympathy for them. However, there is little evidence for the direct roles of distress recognition and sympathy in children's guilt, and none for their joint contribution. What the present study adds The link between fear recognition and guilt was stronger in children with higher sympathy. Sympathy may help children harness and translate the awareness afforded by distress recognition into feelings of accountability and regret. This study was the first to clarify the main and additive roles of sympathy and distress recognition in children's anticipation of guilt after harming others. Promoting distress recognition and sympathy may represent a viable two-step approach to inducing guilt in children after they violate others' welfare.

Acceptability of Intimate Partner Violence among Male Offenders: The Role of Set-Shifting and Emotion Decoding Dysfunctions as Cognitive Risk Factors

Attitudes towards the acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) contribute to an increased risk of IPVAW perpetration, and these attitudes are common among IPVAW offenders. Research suggests that IPVAW offenders present cognitive deficits related to information processing. Little is known, however, about how these deficits are related to the acceptability of IPVAW. The main aim of this study was to explore the relationship between specific cognitive deficits (i.e., deficits in attention switching, set-shifting, and emotion decoding abilities) and the acceptability of IPVAW in a sample of 84 IPVAW offenders. Results revealed that IPVAW offenders with deficits in attention switching, set-shifting, and emotion decoding abilities demonstrated greater acceptability of IPVAW, and these relationships remained significant after controlling for socio-demographic variables (i.e., age and educational level) and drug consumption. These results highlight the role of cognitive processes in maintaining attitudes of acceptability of IPVAW. Thus, the findings may guide professionals in developing specific intervention programs focused on improving cognitive abilities, in order to reduce the acceptability of IPVAW.

Childhood trauma and somatic symptoms among psychiatric outpatients: Investigating the role of shame and guilt

Previous research suggests a link between experiences of childhood maltreatment and adult somatic symptom distress. Contributing mechanisms, however, are not yet well understood. It is possible that shame and guilt may function as mediators in the relationship between childhood trauma and adult somatic distress. The present study was developed to investigate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and adult somatic distress, including the potential mediating role of shame and guilt, among psychiatric outpatients. Using data from a sample of 99 Canadian psychiatric outpatients, mediation models with shame and guilt as parallel mediators were evaluated for relationships between childhood emotional abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and somatic symptoms. Controlling for current depressive symptoms, a significant indirect effect was found for the relationship between emotional abuse and shame, but not guilt, in contributing to somatic symptoms. A similar result was obtained regarding the mediating role of shame in the relationship between emotional neglect and somatic symptoms. Mediation was non-significant regarding childhood sexual abuse, which was directly related to somatic distress after controlling for depressive symptoms. The findings provide further evidence of the link between childhood trauma and somatic symptom distress, with shame as a mechanism for the effects of emotional abuse and neglect.