“Shame on You”: Collectivistic Cultural Values Influence the Relationship between Shame Experiences and Psychosocial Well-being
| dc.contributor.advisor | Wang, Shu-wen | |
| dc.contributor.author | Cheng, Katy Anne | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-07-15T18:35:48Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-07-15T18:35:48Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Objective: Shame is an understudied emotion, especially amongst individuals in collectivistic cultures. Previous research has suggested that East Asians/ harmony collectivists in particular are more tolerant of shame than people in Western, individualistic societies. The current study aims to build upon theoretical research by comparing how three distinct cultural groups (harmony collectivistic, convivial collectivistic, and individualistic) differ on their frequency and likelihood of feeling shame, and how this emotion is related to psychosocial well-being. Method: We utilized a mixed-methods approach by collecting both quantitative and qualitative data through online surveys from participants in the United States (n = 144), Mexico (n = 162), and Japan (n = 140). Information was collected on shame proneness and frequency, personal shame experiences, and various psychosocial well-being outcomes (self-esteem, satisfaction with life, stress, anxiety, depression, and perceived social support). Results: Participants from the three countries did not differ on their likelihood of, and frequency of experiencing shame. Surprisingly, increased shame proneness and frequency predicted decreased psychosocial well-being across all three groups. However, harmony collectivistic cultural values buffered against the maladaptive associations between shame and decreased life satisfaction, along with shame and decreased self-esteem. Convivial collectivistic values protected against maladaptive relationships between shame and decreased self-esteem, decreased perceived social support, and increased depression symptoms. Conclusions: While shame was experienced as a maladaptive emotion for all participants, greater endorsement of collectivistic values led people to be less disadvantaged by shame compared to their individualistic counterparts, suggesting that shame serves a functional purpose within collectivism. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Haverford College. Department of Psychology | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10066/50354 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.rights.access | Tri-College users only | |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Collectivism | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Group identity | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Shame | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Social psychology | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Self-esteem | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Social interaction | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Well-being | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Culture | |
| dc.title | “Shame on You”: Collectivistic Cultural Values Influence the Relationship between Shame Experiences and Psychosocial Well-being | |
| dc.type | Thesis |