Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 29, 2026
06:51
The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling
Published on: April 6, 2018
Battered women's entrapment in shame: a phenomenological study
Eli Buchbinder1, Zvi Eisikovits
1University of Haifa, School of Social Work, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Studies, Haifa, Israel. ebuchbin@study.haifa.ac.il
The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
|November 12, 2003
Summary
Shame significantly impacts battered women, affecting their self-perception, relationships, and emotional well-being. This pervasive shame hinders their ability to leave abusive relationships, highlighting a critical area for intervention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Domestic Violence Research
Background:
- Understanding the long-term effects of family of origin on individuals experiencing domestic violence.
- Exploring the psychological and relational dynamics within violent dyadic relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pervasive impact of shame on battered women.
- To analyze how shame influences their lives, worldviews, and emotional states.
- To identify shame as a barrier to escaping abusive relationships.
Main Methods:
- In-depth interviews with 20 Jewish Israeli battered women.
- Qualitative phenomenological approach to explore lived experiences.
- Data collection across three sessions per participant.
Main Results:
- Shame was identified as a prevalent theme across participants' biographies.
- Shame was found to influence both family of origin experiences and current intimate relationships.
- Shame was shown to negatively impact self-perception, interpersonal relationships, and emotional experiences, acting as emotional abuse.
Conclusions:
- Shame is a significant factor trapping battered women and impeding their efforts to leave violent situations.
- Intervention strategies should address the deep-seated issue of shame in supporting battered women.
- Further research is needed to develop targeted therapeutic approaches for shame reduction.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Fundamental Attribution Error
According to some social psychologists, people tend to overemphasize internal factors as explanations—or attributions—for the behavior of other people. They tend to assume that the behavior of another person is a trait of that person, and to underestimate the power of the situation on the behavior of others. They tend to fail to recognize when the behavior of another is due to situational variables, and thus to the person’s state. This erroneous assumption is called the fundamental attribution...
03:20The Stanford Prison Experiment
The famous and controversial Stanford Prison Experiment, conducted by social psychologist Philip Zimbardo and his colleagues at Stanford University, demonstrated the power of social roles, social norms, and scripts.
02:16Stereotype Content Model
The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) was first proposed by Susan Fiske and her colleagues (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick & Xu, 2002; see also Fiske, 2012 and Fiske, 2017). The SCM specifies that when someone encounters a new group, they will stereotype them based on two metrics: warmth—or that group’s perceived intent, and how likely they are to provide help or inflict harm—and competence—or their ability to carry out that objective. Depending on the warmth-competence categorization, a person will feel...
02:09Stereotype Threat and Self-fulfilling Prophecies
When we hold a stereotype about a person, we have expectations that he or she will fulfill that stereotype. A self-fulfilling prophecy is an expectation held by a person that alters his or her behavior in a way that tends to make it true. When we hold stereotypes about a person, we tend to treat the person according to our expectations. This treatment can influence the person to act according to our stereotypic expectations, thus confirming our stereotypic beliefs. Research by Rosenthal and...
01:14Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness
Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
01:16Repressed Memory
Repressed memories are a psychological phenomenon where memories of traumatic events are unconsciously blocked from a person's awareness. This process occurs as a defense mechanism, protecting the mind from the emotional impact of distressing or painful experiences. For example, a person who has experienced childhood trauma may grow up with no conscious recollection of the event. In such cases, the memories are thought to be buried deep within the subconscious, inaccessible to the conscious...