Interpersonal Guilt, Shame, and Psychological Problems

Abstract

Recent research has focused on the positive consequences of guilt as opposed to shame. The present studies investigated the relationship between interpersonal guilt related to the fear of harming others, shame, and various measures of psychological distress and symptoms. The Interpersonal Guilt Questionnaire, The Guilt Inventory, the Test of Self-Conscious Affect, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory were administered to samples of college students. These results suggest that interpersonal guilt, when elevated and linked to pathogenic beliefs, may also be associated with psychological problems and indicate that there may be a down side to guilt.