MORAL AFFECT AND COGNITIVE-PROCESSES - DIFFERENTIATING SHAME FROM GUILT AMONG MEN AND WOMEN

Men (n = 103) and women (n = 183) completed measures of shame, guilt, self-critical cognitions, and perfectionism in order to explore gender differences in cognitive processes associated with moral affect. Wome n reported significantly higher rates of shame and guilt than men. Sep arate factor analyses for gender indicated that for men, shame loaded with self-critical cognitions while guilt loaded with dimensions of pe rfectionism. For women, both shame and guilt loaded with self-critical cognitions, but only socially-prescribed perfectionism. Results sugge st that a person's gender may need to be considered in evaluations of shame and guilt. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.