Association between Shame Aversion and Ruminative Retribution: Evidence for Moderation by Externalization of Blame...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Shame aversion, the tendency to avoid feelings of shame, is theorized to drive aggression as a self-regulation strategy.
• The direction of aggression (self vs. other) may be influenced by internal versus external attributions of blame or causality.
• Shame-proneness is a commonly studied construct, but shame aversion's role in aggression requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between shame aversion and various forms of aggression.
• To examine the moderating role of blame attribution (internal vs. external) in the shame aversion-aggression link.
• To differentiate the effects of shame aversion from the more commonly studied shame-proneness.

Main Methods:

• Data collected from two independent samples.
• Statistical analyses conducted to examine associations between shame aversion, blame attributions, and aggression.
• Analyses controlled for shame-proneness to isolate the unique contribution of shame aversion.

Main Results:

• Shame aversion was positively associated with verbal, relational, and passive-rational aggression.
• Shame aversion also correlated with ruminative retribution and non-suicidal self-injury, independent of shame-proneness.
• A significant interaction revealed that shame aversion's link to ruminative retribution was strongest when blame was highly externalized.

Conclusions:

• Shame aversion is a significant predictor of aggression, including aggressive fantasies and self-harm.
• Externalizing blame exacerbates the relationship between shame aversion and ruminative retribution.
• Aggressive fantasies may function as a shame regulation strategy for individuals who externalize blame and struggle with shame tolerance.