Reactions to Physician-Inspired Shame and Guilt

Participants reported attributions and responses to shame (Study 1 and Study 2) and guilt (Study 2) experienced during an interaction with a physician. These emotional interactions elicited both negative and positive reactions. Regardless of whether the person felt guilt or shame, self-condemnation and the perception that the physician intentionally induced the emotion were associated exclusively with negative outcomes (e.g., ceasing physician visits), whereas negative attributions about one's behavior (rather than the self as a whole) were associated with primarily beneficial outcomes (e.g., positive impact). We discuss how these data bear on theories of shame and guilt.