Global and body-related self-conscious emotions: exploring associations to positive and negative mental health

ABSTRACT

This study examined the relative relationships between global and body-related self-conscious emotions to indices of positive and negative mental health. North American adults (N = 520) completed an online questionnaire to assess global and body-related shame, guilt and pride, and mental health indicators (depression, anxiety, eating pathology, self-esteem, flourishing). Data were analyzed in three path models. Compared to global shame and guilt, body-related shame and guilt showed a greater magnitude of association with depression, anxiety, eating pathology, and self-esteem. Global pride showed a stronger magnitude of association with all mental health indicators (except eating pathology) compared to body-related pride. Findings illustrate the importance of body-related self-consciousness for multiple mental health outcomes known to impact the general population.

KEYWORDS:

• Shame
• guilt
• pride
• physical self
• mental health

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Recent research has highlighted significant conceptual and empirical challenges related to the “authentic/hubristic” pride model. First, there has been inconsistent evidence supporting the appraisal model and specific causal attributions that form the theoretical basis of hubristic pride as a distinct facet (Dickens & Robins, 2020). Further, tests of the most commonly used hubristic pride self-report measure (Authentic and Hubristic Pride Scales) have shown mixed results, particularly around the construct validity of the hubristic pride subscale (Holbrook, et al., 2014a; Holbrook et al., 2014b). In addition to these conceptual and measurement issues, the majority of research has focused on the link between hubristic pride and maladaptive personality traits or self-perceptions (Dickens & Robins, 2020). As such, there is weak empirical evidence, and currently no theoretical framework, to substantiate the domain-specific connections between hubristic pride and mental health outcomes. Given these challenges with hubristic pride, only authentic pride was evaluated for the purpose of the present study.

2. Supplementary analyses were conducted to test a fourth path model which included all global and body-related shame, guilt and authentic pride emotions as covarying exogenous variables. When shame, guilt and authentic pride were modeled together the same general pattern of associations emerged. Particularly, in Model 4 body-related shame was more strongly related to both negative and positive indices of mental health compared to global shame. Global authentic pride was more strongly related to all mental health outcomes compared to body-related authentic pride (except for eating pathology). The adaptive nature of global guilt for mental health remained the same; however, associations were weaker in strength compared to Model 2. The maladaptive features of body-related guilt were suppressed in this combined model (i.e., non-significant).

Additional information

Funding

CMS is funded by the Canada Research Chairs program.