Conceptual and lexical knowledge of shame in Italian children and adolescents

In the present study, the development of knowledge of nonmoral shame in Ita lian children and adolescents was investigated. The issues addressed were: (a) how the development of the ability to identify appropriate antecedents of shame is achieved (Experiment 1); and (b) the acquisition of the ability to use linguistic labels to refer to this emotion (Experiment 2). Two cros s-sectional experiments were conducted with participants aged from 5 years 8 months to 18 years 5 months. In the first experiment, participants were a sked for an antecedent of shame; in the second, they were asked to describe an emotion for each of the six antecedents proposed in the experimental se tting. Results showed that the conceptual structure of shame is developed d uring primary school. Among adolescents, however, the need for privacy emer ged, and "embarrassment" was given more frequently than shame. In both expe riments participants were asked for an explanation of the emotional experie nce of shame. Correspondence analysis on the explanations given in Experime nt 1 showed that two dimensions underlie the conception of shame: The first , which develops in primary school, is intersubjectivity and consideration of the group. The second, which develops during adolescence, is intrasubjec tivity and consideration of personal motives. The analysis of the explanati ons given in Experiment 2 showed that, when the word "shame" was produced, the explanation focused mainly on the fear of being exposed to an audience.