Reactions to Violation of Normative Standards: A Cross- Cultural Analysis of Shame and Guilt

• NCJ Number: 140829
• Journal: International Journal of Psychology Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1992) Pages: 181-194
• Author(s): G Bierbrauer
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 14 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey (Cross-Cultural)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: From a special issue entitled, "Social Psychological Approaches to Responsibility and Justice: The View Across Cultures."

Annotation

This study investigates the responses of individuals from three cultural groups -- Germans, Kurds, and Lebanese -- following the violation of legal, religious, and traditional norms.

Abstract

The three samples constituted two main groups in their cultural orientation; the German sample manifested an individualistic orientation; whereas, the other two samples (Kurds and Lebanese) reflected a collectivistic orientation. Cross-cultural researchers hypothesized that individuals from collectivistic cultures would respond to normative violations with more shame (sense of a real or imagined audience for one's misdeeds), and individuals from individualistic cultures would respond with more guilt (negative self-regard that does not need an audience). The findings indicate that subjects from collectivistic cultures respond with both more shame and guilt than subjects from the individualistic culture; however, there was no distinction regarding the degree of guilt between the two main cultural groups. Since the three cultural groups have a similar religious outlook in terms of monotheism (Christianity and Islam), this factor increases the degree of guilt even for subjects with a collectivistic background. Also, the Kurds and Lebanese manifest a greater willingness to keep to the norms of religion and tradition and less willingness to allow state laws to intervene in family and in-group disputes. 6 tables, 26 references, and an article abstract in French