Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
What do the TOSCA guilt and shame scales really measure : affect or action? / Giner-Sorolla, Roger; Piazza, Jared; Espinosa, Pablo.
In: Personality and Individual Differences, Vol. 51, No. 4, 09.2011, p. 445-450.Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - What do the TOSCA guilt and shame scales really measure
T2 - affect or action?
AU - Giner-Sorolla, Roger
AU - Piazza, Jared
AU - Espinosa, Pablo
PY - 2011/9
Y1 - 2011/9
N2 - Psychologists have long used the Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA) as an instrument for empirically distinguishing between trait emotions of guilt and shame. Recent assessments of the internal structure of the TOSCA guilt scale suggest that it may not measure the experience of guilt, but rather motivation to make amends for personal wrongdoing. In contrast, TOSCA shame may better assess the tendency to experience negative self-conscious affect. Previous research did not take into account that TOSCA guilt theoretically should only predict emotions in a situation of wrongdoing; we put this idea to the test in two studies. Experimental, but not control, participants received believable feedback that they had shown involuntary prejudice towards a member of a minority group. In both studies TOSCA guilt predicted reparative action after feedback was given, including expressing non-prejudiced views and recommending financial compensation to the minority group. However, TOSCA guilt had no relationship with feelings of guilt or shame after expressing prejudice. In contrast, TOSCA shame was a better predictor of feelings of guilt, shame and other self-critical emotions, but did not predict compensatory action. These findings suggest motivation rather than emotion as a mechanism behind past findings involving TOSCA guilt.
AB - Psychologists have long used the Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA) as an instrument for empirically distinguishing between trait emotions of guilt and shame. Recent assessments of the internal structure of the TOSCA guilt scale suggest that it may not measure the experience of guilt, but rather motivation to make amends for personal wrongdoing. In contrast, TOSCA shame may better assess the tendency to experience negative self-conscious affect. Previous research did not take into account that TOSCA guilt theoretically should only predict emotions in a situation of wrongdoing; we put this idea to the test in two studies. Experimental, but not control, participants received believable feedback that they had shown involuntary prejudice towards a member of a minority group. In both studies TOSCA guilt predicted reparative action after feedback was given, including expressing non-prejudiced views and recommending financial compensation to the minority group. However, TOSCA guilt had no relationship with feelings of guilt or shame after expressing prejudice. In contrast, TOSCA shame was a better predictor of feelings of guilt, shame and other self-critical emotions, but did not predict compensatory action. These findings suggest motivation rather than emotion as a mechanism behind past findings involving TOSCA guilt.
KW - Guilt
KW - Prejudice
KW - Reparations
KW - Self-conscious emotion
KW - Shame
KW - Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA)
U2 - 10.1016/j.paid.2011.04.010
DO - 10.1016/j.paid.2011.04.010
M3 - Journal article
VL - 51
SP - 445
EP - 450
JO - Personality and Individual Differences
JF - Personality and Individual Differences
SN - 0191-8869
IS - 4
ER -