Abstract
This study examined differences in the experience of shame and guilt in undergraduate students from mainland China (MC: collectivist. N = 39) and Canada (EC: individualist. N = 34). Participants were presented with five types of shame concepts (xiu chi, can kui, diu lian, xiu kui, and nan wei qing) and four types of guilt (nei jiu-1—harm to others, nei jiu-2—trust violation, zui e gan, and fan zui gan), which were based on Mandarin shame and guilt categories and described situations that would elicit each concept. The data were coded in terms of three dimensions based on earlier research (“public” versus “private,” “self” versus “action,” and “withdrawal” versus “repair”). Results showed that situations eliciting these emotions were more likely to be public than private when MCs were experiencing shame, but not this was not true for guilt. ECs experienced both guilt and shame primarily in public situations rather than private situations. MCs focused on blaming themselves more in shame situations than in guilt situations. MCs focused more on blaming their actions in guilt situations than in shame situations. ECs in both guilt and shame situations still focused on blaming their actions rather than the self. ECs focused on social withdrawal rather than repairing behaviors in shame situations, but reverse in guilt situations. Cultural background plays an obvious and important role in experiencing of shame and guilt.
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Appendix A: Survey
Appendix A: Survey
The following questions ask you to recall a personal and potential distressing event. Please answer them as honestly as possible. Note that your answers will be completely anonymous, and you are free to not answer any question, or to discontinue participation at any time. Please answer the following questions in Mandarin.
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1.
Imagine a time when you experienced the following emotion: guilt about harming another person. In the space below, please describe the situation in as much detail as possible.
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2.
Imagine a time when you experienced the following emotion: guilt about trust violation. In the space below, please describe the situation in as much detail as possible.
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3.
Imagine a time when you experienced the following emotion: guilt (zui e gan) about breaking moral. In the space below, please describe the situation in as much detail as possible.
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4.
Imagine a time when you experienced the following emotion: guilt (fan zui gan) about breaking the law or rules. In the space below, please describe the situation in as much detail as possible.
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5.
Imagine a time when you experienced the following emotion: shame (xiu chi) about very deep shame (Feeling of shame that occurs with perceived social failure; A stain on the face). In the space below, please describe the situation in as much detail as possible.
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6.
Imagine a time when you experienced the following emotion: shame (can kui) about feeling of shame that occurs with failure to attain a personal ideal. In the space below, please describe the situation in as much detail as possible.
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7.
Imagine a time when you experienced the following emotion: shame (diu lian) about loss of face (Feeling of shame that occurs with loss of reputation or standing in the eyes of others). In the space below, please describe the situation in as much detail as possible.
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8.
Imagine a time when you experienced the following emotion: shame (xiu kui) about feeling of shame occasioned by perceived personal failure resulting in harm to someone else. In the space below, please describe the situation in as much detail as possible.
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9.
Imagine a time when you experienced the following emotion: shame (nan wei qing) about embarrassment due to social impropriety. In the space below, please describe the situation in as much detail as possible.
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Su, C., Hynie, M. (2019). A Cross-Cultural Study on Dimensions of Experiences of Shame and Guilt Between Mainland Chinese and Euro-Canadians. In: Zangeneh, M., Al-Krenawi, A. (eds) Culture, Diversity and Mental Health - Enhancing Clinical Practice. Advances in Mental Health and Addiction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26437-6_15
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