Abstract
Introduction: Recent research has focused on the relationship between shame and psychopathology. It has been shown that shame predicts depressive and anxious symptoms, as well as substance abuse, non-suicidal self-injury, and aggression. However, it remains unclear, how one emotion can influence psychiatric symptoms of such a broad spectrum. It is assumed that as shame is such an intense and painful emotion, it needs to be coped with and that the coping-strategies influence the effect shame has on psychopathologies. The Compass of Shame Scale (CoSS) is a questionnaire measuring 4 shame coping-strategies (withdrawal, avoidance, attacking others, and attacking the self) and the ability to adapt to shame. Methods: In this article, a German version of the CoSS (CoSS-d) is validated in a community sample and is used to predict psychopathology in a clinical and non-clinical sample. Results: The CoSS-d shows a 4-factorial structure, good reliability, and validity and is stable over time. The 4 poles of shame-coping show an impact on depressive symptoms, aggression, and self-injury. Conclusion: The CoSS serves as a reliable and unique measurement of trait shame-coping. Shame-coping styles are associated with psychopathology.
References
1.
2.
Muris
P
, Meesters
C
. Small or big in the eyes of the other: on the developmental psychopathology of self-conscious emotions as shame, guilt, and pride
. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev
. 2014
;17
(1
):19
–40
. .3.
de Hooge
IE
, Zeelenberg
M
, Breugelmans
SM
. A functionalist account of shame-induced behaviour
. Cogn Emot
. 2011
;25
(5
):939
–46
. .4.
Harper
JM
. Regulation and coping with shame
. In: Trnka
R
, Balcar
K
, Kuška
M
, editors. Reconstructing emotional spaces. From experience to regulation
. Prague
: Prague University Psychosocial Studies Press
; 2012
. p. 189
–207
.5.
de Hooge
IE
, Breugelmans
SM
, Zeelenberg
M
. Not so ugly after all: when shame acts as a commitment device
. J Pers Soc Psychol
. 2008
;95
(4
):933
–43
. .6.
Sznycer
D
, Tooby
J
, Cosmides
L
, Porat
R
, Shalvi
S
, Halperin
E
. Shame closely tracks the threat of devaluation by others, even across cultures
. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
. 2016
;113
(10
):2625
–30
. .7.
Stuewig
J
, Tangney
JP
, Kendall
S
, Folk
JB
, Meyer
CR
, Dearing
RL
. Children’s proneness to shame and guilt predict risky and illegal behaviors in young adulthood
. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev
. 2015
;46
(2
):217
–27
. .8.
Bennett
DS
, Sullivan
MW
, Lewis
M
. Neglected children, shame-proneness, and depressive symptoms
. Child Maltreat
. 2010
;15
(4
):305
–14
. .9.
Ritter
K
, Vater
A
, Rüsch
N
, Schröder-Abé
M
, Schütz
A
, Fydrich
T
, Shame in patients with narcissistic personality disorder
. Psychiatry Res
. 2014
;215
(2
):429
–37
. .10.
Fergus
TA
, Valentiner
DP
, McGrath
PB
, Jencius
S
. Shame- and guilt-proneness: relationships with anxiety disorder symptoms in a clinical sample
. J Anxiety Disord
. 2010
;24
(8
):811
–5
. .11.
Rüsch
N
, Lieb
K
, Göttler
I
, Hermann
C
, Schramm
E
, Richter
H
, Shame and implicit self-concept in women with borderline personality disorder
. Am J Psychiatry
. 2007
;164
(3
):500
–8
. .12.
Scheel
CN
, Schneid
E-M
, Tuescher
O
, Lieb
K
, Tuschen-Caffier
B
, Jacob
GA
. Effects of shame induction in borderline personality disorder
. Cogn Ther Res
. 2013
;37
(6
):1160
–8
. .13.
Claesson
K
, Sohlberg
S
. Internalized shame and early interactions characterized by indifference, abandonment and rejection: replicated findings
. Clin Psychol Psychother
. 2002
;9
(4
):277
–84
. .14.
Lynch
TR
, Trost
WT
, Salsman
N
, Linehan
MM
. Dialectical behavior therapy for borderline personality disorder
. Annu Rev Clin Psychol
. 2007
;3
(10
):181
–205
. .15.
Mennin
DS
, Holaway
RM
, Fresco
DM
, Moore
MT
, Heimberg
RG
. Delineating components of emotion and its dysregulation in anxiety and mood psychopathology
. Behav Ther
. 2007
;38
(3
):284
–302
. .16.
Nolen-Hoeksema
S
, Wisco
BE
, Lyubomirsky
S
. Rethinking rumination
. Perspect Psychol Sci
. 2008
;3
(5
):400
–24
. .17.
Gross
JJ
. The emerging field of emotion regulation: an integrative review
. Rev Gen Psychol
. 1998
;2
(3
):271
–99
. .18.
Aldao
A
, Nolen-Hoeksema
S
, Schweizer
S
. Emotion-regulation strategies across psychopathology: a meta-analytic review
. Clin Psychol Rev
. 2010
;30
(2
):217
–37
. .19.
Nathanson
DL
. Shame and Pride. Affect, sex and the birth of self
. New York
: W. W. Norton & Co
; 1994
.20.
Black
RS
, Curran
D
, Dyer
KF
. The impact of shame on the therapeutic alliance and intimate relationships
. J Clin Psychol
. 2013
;69
(6
):646
–54
. .21.
de Hooge
I
. Moral emotions and prosocial behaviour. It may be time to change our view of shame and guilt
. In: Mohiyeddini
C
, Eysenck
M
, Bauer
S
, editors. Handbook of psychology of emotions: recent theoretical perspectives and novel empirical findings edition
. New York
: Nova Science
; 2013
. p. 255
–76
.22.
Dorahy
MJ
, Corry
M
, Shannon
M
, Webb
K
, McDermott
B
, Ryan
M
, Complex trauma and intimate relationships. The impact of shame, guilt and dissociation
. J Affect Disord
. 2013
;147
(1–3
):72
–9
. .23.
Brown
MZ
, Linehan
MM
, Comtois
KA
, Murray
A
, Chapman
AL
. Shame as a prospective predictor of self-inflicted injury in borderline personality disorder. A multi-modal analysis
. Behav Res Ther
. 2009
;47
(10
):815
–22
. .24.
Gilbert
P
, McEwan
K
, Irons
C
, Bhundia
R
, Christie
R
, Broomhead
C
, Self-harm in a mixed clinical population. the roles of self-criticism, shame, and social rank
. Br J Clin Psychol
. 2010
;49
(4
):563
–76
. .25.
Harman
R
, Lee
D
. The role of shame and self-critical thinking in the development and maintenance of current threat in post-traumatic stress disorder
. Clin Psychol Psychother
. 2010 Jan–Feb
;17
(1
):13
–24
. .26.
Combs
DJY
, Campbell
G
, Jackson
M
, Smith
RH
. Exploring the consequences of humiliating a moral transgressor
. Basic Appl Soc Psychol
. 2010
;32
(2
):128
–43
. .27.
Roos
S
, Hodges
EV
, Salmivalli
C
. Do guilt- and shame-proneness differentially predict prosocial, aggressive, and withdrawn behaviors during early adolescence?
Dev Psychol
. 2014
;50
(3
):941
–6
. .28.
Stuewig
J
, Tangney
JP
, Heigel
C
, Harty
L
, McCloskey
L
. Shaming, blaming, and maiming: functional links among the moral emotions, externalization of blame, and aggression
. J Res Pers
. 2010
;44
(1
):91
–102
. .29.
Elison
J
, Pulos
S
, Lennon
R
. Shame-focused coping: an empirical study of the compass of shame
. Soc Behav Pers
. 2006
;34
(2
):161
–8
. .30.
Mills
RS
, Hastings
PD
, Serbin
LA
, Stack
DM
, Abela
JR
, Arbeau
KA
, Depressogenic thinking and shame proneness in the development of internalizing problems
. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev
. 2015
;46
(2
):194
–208
. .31.
Muris
P
, Meesters
C
, Bouwman
L
, Notermans
S
. Relations among behavioral inhibition, shame- and guilt-proneness, and anxiety disorders symptoms in non-clinical children
. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev
. 2015
;46
(2
):209
–16
. .32.
Cândea
D-M
, Szentágotai-Tătar
A
. Shame as a predictor of post-event rumination in social anxiety
. Cogn Emot
. 2017
;31
(8
):1684
–91
. .33.
Velotti
P
, Elison
J
, Garofalo
C
. Shame and aggression. Different trajectories and implications
. Aggress Violent Behav
. 2014
;19
(4
):454
–61
. .34.
Dearing
RL
, Stuewig
J
, Tangney
JP
. On the importance of distinguishing shame from guilt: relations to problematic alcohol and drug use
. Addict Behav
. 2005
;30
(7
):1392
–404
. .35.
Luoma
J
, Guinther
P
, Potter
J
, Cheslock
M
. Experienced-based versus scenario-based assessments of shame and guilt and their relationship to alcohol consumption and problems
. Subst Use Misuse
. 2017
;52
(13
):1692
–700
. .36.
Elison
J
. The compass of shame scale: an assessment of shame-focused coping
. Soc Behav Pers
. 2006
;34
(2
):161
–8
. .37.
Cook
DR
. Measuring Shame: the internalized shame scale
. Alcohol Treat Q
. 1988
;4
(2
):197
–215
. .38.
Wolfradt
U
, Scharrer
F
. Die “Internalisierte Scham-Skala” (ISS). Konzeptuelle Aspekte und psychometrische Eigenschaften einer deutschsprachigen Adaptation
. Zeitschrift für Differentielle und Diagnostische Psychologie
. 1996
;17
:201
–7
.39.
Folkman
S
, Lazarus
RS
. An analysis of coping in a middle-aged community sample
. J Health Soc Behav
. 1980
;21
(3
):219
–39
. .40.
Ferring
D
, Filipp
S-H
, Bewältigung kritischer Lebensereignisse
. Erste Erfahrungen mit einer deutschsprachigen Version der “Ways of Coping Checklist”
. Zeitschrift für Differentielle und Diagnostische Psychologie
. 1989
;10
(4
):189
–99
.41.
Nyström
MBT
, Mikkelsen
F
. Psychopathy-related personality traits and shame management strategies in adolescents
. J Interpers Violence
. 2013
;28
(3
):519
–37
. .42.
43.
Hautzinger
M
, Bailer
M
, Hofmeister
D
, Keller
F
. Allgemeine Depressionsskala
. Göttingen
: Hogrefe
; 2012
.44.
Reicherzer
M
, Brandl
T
. Der Fragebogen zu selbstverletzendem Verhalten (FSVV). Ein neues Erhebungsinstrument für die klinische Praxis. The questionnaire concerning self-harming behavior (FSVV). A new survey instrument for the clinical practice
. Psychotherapie
. 2011
;16
(2
):199
–205
.45.
Laging
M
. Assessment und Diagnostik in der sekundären Suchtprävention bei Jugendlichen
. Prävention
. 2005
;1
:9
–12
.46.
Tossmann
P
, Kasten
L
, Lang
P
, Strüber
E
. Bestimmung der konkurrenten Validität des CRAFFT-d: Ein Screeninginstrument für problematischen Alkoholkonsum bei Jugendlichen
. Z Kinder Jugendpsychiatr Psychother
. 2009
;37
(5
):451
–9
. .47.
Görtz-Dorten
A
, Döpfner
M
. Fragebogen zum aggressiven Verhalten von Kindern
. Göttingen
: Hogrefe
; 2005
.48.
Reimer
MS
. Sinking into the ground. The development and consequences of shame in adolescence
. Dev Rev
. 1996
;16
(4
):321
–63
. .49.
Zimmermann
P
, Iwanski
A
. Emotion regulation from early adolescence to emerging adulthood and middle adulthood
. Int J Behav Dev
. 2014
;38
(2
):182
–94
. .50.
Hedman
E
, Ström
P
, Stünkel
A
, Mörtberg
E
. Shame and guilt in social anxiety disorder: effects of cognitive behavior therapy and association with social anxiety and depressive symptoms
. PLoS One
. 2013
;8
(4
). .51.
Elison
J
, Garofalo
C
, Velotti
P
. Shame and aggression. Theoretical considerations
. Aggress Violent Behav
. 2014
;19
(4
):447
–53
. .52.
Mahtani
S
, Melvin
GA
, Hasking
P
. Shame proneness, shame coping, and functions of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among emerging adults
. Emerg Adulthood
. 2018
;6
(3
):159
–71
. .53.
Goffnett
J
, Liechty
JM
, Kidder
E
. Interventions to reduce shame. A systematic review
. J Behav Cognit Ther
. 2020
;30
(2
):141
–60
. .© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel
2021
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.
