Shame and Guilt

Shame and guilt, while the focus of attention among scholars and clinicians for generations, have only recently been subjected to systematic empirical scrutiny. This volume reports on the growing body of knowledge on these key self-conscious emotions, integrating findings from the authors' original research program with other data emerging from social, clinical, personality, and developmental psychology. Writing in an engaging, accessible style, June Price Tangney and Ronda L. Dearing offer a coherent new scientific perspective on shame and guilt. Compelling evidence is presented to demonstrate that these universally experienced affective phenomena have significant--and surprisingly disparate--implications for many aspects of human functioning, with particular relevance for interpersonal relationships.

June Price Tangney, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at George Mason University. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of California-Los Angeles, under the direction of Dr. Seymour Feshbach, after working with Dr. Joseph Masling as an undergraduate at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Tangney serves on the editorial boards of several professional journals. Her research has been funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the John Templeton Foundation.

Ronda L. Dearing, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Research Institute on Addictions in Buffalo, New York. She became involved in the study of shame and guilt during her graduate training in clinical psychology at George Mason University, while working as a research assistant with June Tangney. Prior to her training in psychology, Dr. Dearing worked as a medical technologist. Her doctoral dissertation focused on predictors of psychotherapy help-seeking in therapists-in-training. More recent interests include help-seeking in substance abuse, substance abuse treatment approaches, and the influence of shame-proneness on substance use.