What is common may be as important as what is different: examining the general factor shared by dispositional shame and guilt using bi-factor models

Previous research on shame and guilt has tended to focus on their unique associations with other variables. It has become commonplace to eliminate the substantial shared variance with shame when examining guilt, and to eliminate shared variance with guilt when examining shame. What previous research has typically not done is to examine the variance shared by shame and guilt. In a series of three studies, we addressed this issue by employing bi-factor models to examine the general factor shared by shame and guilt, and its relationship to several important personality traits and two broad liability factors of psychopathology (i.e., externalizing and internalizing psychopathology). As hypothesized, the general factor shared by shame and guilt was strongly and positively associated with personality traits associated with moral emotions (empathy, agreeableness and conscientiousness), and strongly but inversely associated with both self-reported and informant-reported externalizing psychopathology. The general factor was also associated with self-consciousness, but not with self-criticism, vulnerable narcissism or neuroticism. The implications of these findings are discussed regarding the conceptualization of shame and guilt.U of I OnlyAuthor requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD syste