Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Relation of shame and guilt to constructive versus destructive responses to anger across the lifespan
J P Tangney1, P E Wagner, D Hill-Barlow
1Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA.
Abstract:
This study explored the relation of shame proneness and guilt proneness to constructive versus destructive responses to anger among 302 children (Grades 4-6), adolescents (Grades 7-11), 176 college students, and 194 adults. Across all ages, shame proneness was clearly related to maladaptive response to anger, including malevolent intentions; direct, indirect, and displaced aggression; self-directed hostility; and negative long-term consequences. In contrast, guilt proneness was associated with constructive means of handling anger, including constructive intentions, corrective action and non-hostile discussion with the target of the anger, cognitive reappraisals of the target's role, and positive long-term consequences. Escapist-diffusing responses showed some interesting developmental trends. Among children, these dimensions were positively correlated with guilt and largely unrelated to shame; among older participants, the results were mixed.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Aggression
Bullying
Beck's Cognitive Therapy
Arbitrary Inference
Arbitrary inference involves making conclusions without sufficient...
Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

