GUILT, GUILT-EVOKING EVENTS, DEPRESSION, AND EATING DISORDERS

A long theoretical tradition has linked guilt with internalizing disor ders. We find no evidence, however, that a greater personality procliv ity for guilt is related to depression or eating disturbances as repor ted by 85 female undergraduates. Females also described guilt-producin g incidents involving school versus eating and exercise. We examined r eactions to the events including guilt feelings and perceived effectiv eness in alleviating these feelings, intropunitive responses, action t endencies, and rationalizations. Both depression and eating disturbanc es were unrelated to guilt feelings over school, but were related to g uilt feelings over eating and exercise. Ineffective alleviation of gui lt feelings in both domains was correlated with depression and greater eating disturbances. Women who reacted to guilt-producing events with fewer intropunitive responses such as rumination and self-hatred, and by confiding in others, distancing, and rationalizing their actions t hrough justifications and excuses were less likely to have eating dist urbances.