Through Benevolent Eyes: the Differential Efficacy of Perspective Taking and Cognitive Reappraisalon the Regulation of Shame

Difficulties in regulating feelings of shame is a risk factor for the onset and recurrence of mental health disorders. The present research investigated the impact of the individual differences in propensity to experience shame (or shame-proneness) on two emotion regulation strategies – self-distancing and cognitive reappraisal. 228 participants were allocated randomly to one of the eight experimental conditions. The results revealed that for high shame-prone participants, the use of self-distancing, without cognitive reappraisal, led to a heightened experience of shame. In contrast, the combination of self-distancing and cognitive reappraisal led to reductions in shame among high shame-prone participants. The findings highlight the relationship between individual differences, and the separate and combined effects of affect regulation strategies on the experience of shame