Dispositional self-forgiveness, guilt- and shame-proneness, and the roles of motivational tendencies. (August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Carpenter, Thomas P.; Tignor, Stefanie M.; Tsang, Jo-Ann; Willett, Amanda
• Is Part Of: Personality and individual differences. Volume 98(2016)
• Page Start: 53
• Page End: 61
• Publication Date: 2016-08
• Subjects: Shame-proneness -- Guilt-proneness -- Self-forgiveness; Personality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Personality Development -- Periodicals; Personnalité -- Périodiques; Individualité -- Périodiques; 155.205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.04.017
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0191-8869

Abstract

Abstract: We investigated relationships between dispositional guilt-proneness, shame-proneness, and self-forgiveness. Drawing on motivational frameworks, we theorized that shame-proneness should be wholly problematic for self-forgiveness, whereas some aspects of guilt-proneness may be adaptive. Consistent with this framework, across both community ( n = 502) and college ( n = 153) samples, guilt-proneness was positively associated with trait self-forgiveness, whereas shame-proneness was negatively associated. Models decomposing guilt- and shame-proneness further supported our framework, with key results replicating across samples. For guilt-proneness, a tendency to make negative behavior evaluations predicted self-forgiveness, but only indirectly via motivational tendencies. For shame-proneness, a tendency to make negative self-evaluations predicted decreased self-forgiveness largely directly. Together, results frame guilt-proneness as potentially beneficial for self-forgiveness, but only to the extent that its motivational characteristics are activated; shame-proneness was broadly negatively related to self-forgiveness. Implications for theory and future research are discussed. Highlights: We tested links between guilt-proneness, shame-proneness and trait self-forgiveness. Guilt-proneness was positively associated with trait self-forgiveness. The positive guilt relationship was explained by guilt's motivational features. Shame-proneness was negatively associated with trait self-forgiveness. The shame relationship was more a function of shame attributions than motivations.