Shame Memories Research Articles

Maladaptive fantasy predicts negatively distorted self and other mental representation: A consideration of child abuse from psycho/neuro/biological perspectives

Child abuse is a prevalent public health issue with one half of children worldwide experiencing some form of violence. Child abuse is associated with a myriad of impacts across the lifespan such as mental and physical illness, academic performance, and employment. For this reason, individual’s psychological functions such as emotional regulation, autobiographical memory and self, and psychological connection with others are changed by child abuse. However, to best of our knowledge, there is still much unknowns about the mechanism underlying these changes. In this article, we focusing on the relationships between fantasy and metacognition and its biological and neurological bases, and functional change of them caused by child abuse. Then, we also explain the effects of them for other psychological function in abused individual. In case of child abuse, there is suggests that children immerse themselves fantastic world in order to escape from the tragic experiences that are repeated on a daily living by the caregiver. In this process, functions that recognize the real world, such as metacognition, not functioning. Rather, there is consider that children refuse to develop metacognition in order to avoid realizing the truth of the real world. As results, it does not seem to develop child’s emotional regulative function such as metacognition. The experience of being continuously hurt by a caregiver and the image of being hurt are thought to change to maladaptive fantasy or autobiographical shame memory. Then, both maladaptive fantasy and autobiographical shame memory are lead to formed negatively distorted and unstable mental images of self and other. Finally, we discuss two potential new interventions such as picture book and breathing technique for abused children.

The roles of the centrality of shame memory and self-blame in the association between shame and paranoia: an experience sampling study

The roles of the centrality of shame memory and self-blame in the association between shame and paranoia: an experience sampling study

Shame Memory's Impact on Depression among Junior Middle School Students: A Moderated Mediation Model.

(1) Objective: While recent studies have shed light on the effects of shame memories on mental well-being, there is still limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms linking shame memories and depression. Based on the biopsychosocial model and cognitive therapy theory, this study examined the association between shame memory and depression and the indirect role of emotion management and self-criticism. (2) Methods: A total of 1004 junior high school students were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the event impact scale, the self-criticism scale of the depressive experiences questionnaire, and the emotional intelligence scale. (3) Results: Shame memory had a significant positive correlation with depression. The relationship between shame memory and depression was partially mediated by self-criticism. Emotional management was found to regulate the latter half of the mediating effect of shame memory on depression. (4) Conclusions: Self-criticism plays a mediating role in the relationship between shame memory and depression, as well as emotion management plays a moderating role between self-criticism and depression. This perspective will contribute to the growing body of knowledge about the impact of shame memories on depression among junior high school children but also offers a feasible plan for follow-up intervention.

Perceptions of childhood experiences and characteristics of shame in adults

Shame tends to motivate social approach to restore the threatened self. If this seems impos- sible, however, shame activates social withdrawal. Though it is unclear why one can under- estimate the possibility of repairing their threatened self, research suggests the role of ad- verse childhood experiences. People with such experiences report shame memories that have traumatic memory characteristics such as intrusions, avoidance and hyperarousal, which are associated with feelings of helplessness and alienation in the face of danger. Therefore, social withdrawal following shame could be associated with higher posttraumatic stress in response to shame experiences. The aim of the study was to examine the link between perceptions of childhood experiences and proneness to shame in adults. The sample included 73 participants (60 females, 13 males), M=23. Perceptions of childhood experiences were measured using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. The Impact of Event Scale, the Guilt and Shame Prone- ness Scale and a modified procedure for assessing shame-induced behavior (de Hooge et al.) were used to measure characteristics of shame. We used comparative, factorial and multiple regression analyses. The childhood experiences of emotional bullying, physical assault, and sexual abuse related to neglect are associated with higher posttraumatic stress in response to shame experiences in adults. The participants with higher posttraumatic stress report a greater tendency to avoid social interactions when feeling shame. Childhood adversity can contribute to higher posttraumatic stress in response to shame experiences. As a result, one has lower expectations of social support and tends to avoid social interactions when feeling shame.

Echoes of shame: a comparison of the characteristics and psychological sequelae of recalled shame experiences across the voice hearing continuum.

Voice hearing occurs across a number of psychiatric diagnoses and appears to be present on a continuum within the general population. Previous research has highlighted the potential role of past experiences of shame in proneness to voice hearing in the general population. This study aimed to extend this past research and compare people with distressing voices, people with voices but no distress, and a non-voice hearing control group, on various dimensions of shame and shame memory characteristics. In a cross-sectional, online study 39 distressed voice hearers, 31 non-distressed voice hearers and 50 non-voice hearers undertook a shame memory priming task in which they were prompted to recall a memory of a shaming experience from their past. They then completed questionnaires assessing the characteristics of the recalled shame event and the psychological sequalae of this event (i.e. intrusions, hyperarousal, avoidance, the centrality of shame memories, external shame, and self-criticism). The majority of recalled shame memories involved experiences such as interpersonal criticism or experiences of being devalued. Univariate analyses found no significant differences between the three groups with regard to the shame events that were recalled, but the distressed voice hearer group reported significantly more hyperarousal, intrusions, self-criticism, and external shame in relation to their experience. The findings suggest that voice hearers recall similar types of shame experiences to non-voice hearers, but that problematic psychological sequelae of these shame experiences (in the form of intrusive memories, hyperarousal, external shame, and self-criticism) may specifically contribute to distressing voice hearing.

Beyond trauma: the contribution of characteristics of shame memories, shame, and self-criticism to voice-hearing proneness

Past adverse experiences and negative self-schemas have been found to be a vulnerability factor to voice-hearing and also shape the content and emotional salience of these experiences. Past shameful experiences and their consequences (e.g., traumatic characteristics, self-criticism, shame) may also be relevant in the context of voice-hearing. This study investigates whether the centrality of shame memories is associated with voice-hearing proneness and whether the traumatic characteristics of these memories, external shame and self-criticism mediate this association. Centrality of shame memory, traumatic impact of shame memory, self-criticism, external shame, voice-hearing proneness and negative affect (depression and anxiety) were assessed using self-report questionnaires in 390 participants recruited from the general population. Results from path analyses show the centrality of shame memories is indirectly associated with voice-hearing proneness via three different mediated pathways: (1) via traumatic characteristics of shame memories alone (i.e. intrusions, hyperarousal and avoidance); (2) via both traumatic memory characteristics and self-criticism; as well as (3) via the traumatic qualities of shame memories, self-criticism and external shame. Our model only explained a small proportion (8%) of the variance in voice-hearing proneness. In conclusion, our study partially supports the model of shame memories as well as cognitive models of voice-hearing suggesting that autobiographical (i.e., shame memory) and personal semantic (self-criticism) memory plays a role in the emergence and shaping of voice-hearing experiences. Researchers and clinicians should further explore the role of shame memories in clinical voice-hearing samples.

Emotionality during and after the Commissions of an Offence: A Look at Offence-Related Shame and Intrusive Memories in Justice-Involved Adult Males

The limited research concerning trauma secondary to committing crime in justice-involved persons has been restricted to male forensic psychiatric and violent offender populations. We aimed to extend this by examining justice-involved persons’ memories about their crimes, and exploring factors involved in intrusive memories across offence types. One hundred justice-involved adult males completed a questionnaire package examining offence-related shame, guilt, instrumentality-reactivity, and memory characteristics. Forty-three percent reported intrusive memories of a crime they committed. These were experienced across all crime types, especially those with reactive elements. Shame was found to be the most significant correlate of intrusive memories over and above all other factors. While further research is needed (e.g., with justice-involved women), results are in line with theoretical foundations of posttraumatic stress disorder and shed light on psychological consequences of offending. The findings have implications for clinicians and researchers alike, in that intrusive memories and shame may be precipitating factors for related risk factors and would relatedly be worth considering when evaluating patterns of violence and creating relapse prevention plans.

Early shame and safeness memories, and later depressive symptoms and safe affect: The mediating role of self-compassion

Compassion focused therapy (CFT) is a promising treatment for depression, especially where there are features of shame. CFT works to reduce fears of compassion, and develop compassion competencies, to alleviate distress and cultivate safe affect. While the relationship between fears of compassion, early emotional memories and depression is empirically supported, our aim was to explore the role of compassion competencies in these associations. A general population sample of 223 participants completed questionnaires measuring traumatic qualities and centrality of shame memories, early memories of warmth and safeness, compassion for others, from others and self-compassion, and depressive symptoms and safe affect. Results showed that shame memories’ traumatic qualities and centrality correlated positively with depressive symptoms and negatively with safe affect, compassion from others and self-compassion, while early memories of warmth and safeness correlated negatively with depressive symptoms and positively with safe affect and self-compassion. Self-compassion had the strongest correlations with depressive symptoms and safe affect. Path analysis revealed self-compassion as the only significant mediator on associations between early emotional memories, depressive symptoms and safe affect. Clinical implications include support for developing compassion competencies when working with depression and shame, and working directly with early emotional memories themselves.

The Origins of Fears of Compassion: Shame and Lack of Safeness Memories, Fears of Compassion and Psychopathology

ABSTRACTEmpirical and clinical research suggests that some individuals find self-generating compassion and receiving compassion from others difficult and aversive. However, it is unclear how these fears of compassion are linked to early experiences and to psychopathological symptoms. This study explores the relationship between shame traumatic memories, centrality of shame memories, early memories of warmth and safeness, fears of compassion, and depression, anxiety and paranoid symptoms. Participants were 302 individuals from the general community population, who completed self-report measures of fears of compassion, shame memories, early affiliative memories, and psychopathology. Shame traumatic and central memories were positively associated with fears of compassion for self, for others and from others, whereas early memories of warmth and safeness were negatively related to such fears. Path analyses revealed that fears of compassion for self and of receiving compassion from others mediated the effects of shame traumatic memory, centrality of shame memory and early memories of warmth and safeness on depressive, anxious and paranoid symptoms. These findings have implications for therapeutic interventions as these fears, as well as the negative shame-based emotional memories fuelling them, may need to be addressed in therapy to assist patients in self-generating and receiving compassion.

The impact of early shame memories in Binge Eating Disorder: The mediator effect of current body image shame and cognitive fusion

This study examined the phenomenology of shame experiences from childhood and adolescence in a sample of women with Binge Eating Disorder. Moreover, a path analysis was investigated testing whether the association between shame-related memories which are traumatic and central to identity, and binge eating symptoms' severity, is mediated by current external shame, body image shame and body image cognitive fusion. Participants in this study were 114 patients, who were assessed through the Eating Disorder Examination and the Shame Experiences Interview, and through self-report measures of external shame, body image shame, body image cognitive fusion and binge eating symptoms. Shame experiences where physical appearance was negatively commented or criticized by others were the most frequently recalled. A path analysis showed a good fit between the hypothesised mediational model and the data. The traumatic and centrality qualities of shame-related memories predicted current external shame, especially body image shame. Current shame feelings were associated with body image cognitive fusion, which, in turn, predicted levels of binge eating symptomatology. Findings support the relevance of addressing early shame-related memories and negative affective and self-evaluative experiences, namely related to body image, in the understanding and management of binge eating.

Shame traumatic memories and body image shame in Binge Eating Disorder: Can memories of warmth and safeness buffer this link?

IntroductionGrowing research show that body image-related shame plays a particularly important role in the vulnerability to and persistence of Binge eating symptoms. Also, shame experiences from childhood and adolescence were found to function as traumatic memories and are significantly associated with eating psychopathology. Nonetheless, little is known about the effect of shame traumatic memories in Binge Eating Disorder (BED), and whether early positive emotional memories of warmth and safeness may buffer against the impact of shame memories on body image shame.AimsThis study examined the moderator effect of positive emotional memories on the association between shame traumatic memories and current body image shame in women diagnosed with BED.MethodsParticipants (N = 109) were assessed through the eating disorder examination and the shame experiences interview, and answered to self-report measures assessing the traumatic features of a key shame memory, positive emotional memories s and body image shame.ResultsBody image-related experiences were most frequently recalled as significant shame memories. Positive emotional memories were negatively associated with shame traumatic memories and body image shame, and had a significant moderator effect on the association between shame traumatic memories and current body image shame.ConclusionsThis study was the first to demonstrate that early shame experiences may contribute for BED patients’ shame based on their body image. Data suggest that the access to memories of early feelings of affiliation and safeness may be key to tone down negative affect. These findings have important implications for the conceptualization and treatment of BED.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

수치심 기억과 도식적 신념이 편집성향에 미치는 영향

This study aimed to clarify the effect of shame memory on paranoia and social anxiety, based on the study of Matos, Pinto-Gouveia, & Gilbert (2013). Shame has been conceptualized as a self-conscious emotion that focuses on the negative aspects of the self, but this study also notices that shame may be related to the perception of social put-down, neglect in interpersonal relationship. The three types of shame memories were measured; the internal shame memory, external shame memory, and external-humiliative shame memory. On the basis of threat anticipation model of paranoia, it is hypothesized that negative self and other schema mediate the relationship between the external-humiliative shame memory and paranoia. The effect of each shame memory on paranoia and social anxiety was analyzed. The results of regression analyses suggest that paranoia was predicted by the external-humiliative shame memory, and the social anxiety by internal shame memory. The negative beliefs about the self and others showed a partial mediation effect in the relationship between external-humiliative shame memory and paranoia. Implications, limitations and suggestions for future study are discussed.

Self-Defining Memories of Body Image Shame and Binge Eating in Men and Women: Body Image Shame and Self-Criticism in Adulthood as Mediating Mechanisms

Despite the growing evidence of the association between shame experiences and eating psychopathology, the specific effect of body image-focused shame memories on binge eating remains largely unexplored. The current study examined this association and considered current body image shame and self-criticism as mediators. A multi-group path analysis was conducted to examine gender differences in these relationships. The sample included 222 women and 109 men from the Portuguese general and college student populations who recalled an early body image-focused shame experience and completed measures of the centrality of the shame memory, current body image shame, binge eating symptoms, depressive symptoms, and self-criticism. For both men and women, the effect of the centrality of shame memories related to body image on binge eating symptoms was fully mediated by body image shame and self-criticism. In women, these effects were further mediated by self-criticism focused on a sense of inadequacy and also on self-hatred. In men, only the form of self-criticism focused on a sense of inadequacy mediated these associations. The present study has important implications for the conceptualization and treatment of binge eating symptoms. Findings suggest that, in both genders, body image-focused shame experiences are associated with binge eating symptoms via their effect on current body image shame and self-criticism.

Self-Compassion and Emotional Intelligence in Adolescence: A Multigroup Mediational Study of the Impact of Shame Memories on Depressive Symptoms

Several studies have highlighted the adaptive role of self-compassion on human suffering and on a wide range of psychopathological conditions. Extensive research has shown that emotional intelligence has been associated with well-being, mental and physical health and quality of interpersonal relationships. We set out to explore the mediating role of self-compassion and emotional intelligence on the relationship between shame traumatic memories and depressive symptoms, and to explore if these were different between female and male adolescents. The sample was composed of 1101 adolescents from general population, whose age ranged from 14 to 18 years. Participants filled out a battery of self-report questionnaires designed to measure shame traumatic memories, self-compassion, emotional intelligence and depressive symptoms. Correlational analysis showed that in male and female adolescents, shame traumatic memories are associated with more depressive symptoms and with lower levels of self-compassion and emotional intelligence. Multigroup analysis showed that emotional intelligence has a greater impact on depression in female adolescents. Also, the impact of shame traumatic memories on depression is stronger in males, even though females report shame traumatic memories as more impactful. This study provides preliminary evidence that self-compassion and emotional intelligence are important emotion regulation processes for depressive symptoms in adolescence.

Tracing Memories of Tauchi Chizuko: Korean Memories of Historical Shame and the "Japanese Mother of Korean War Orphans"

Tracing Memories of Tauchi Chizuko: Korean Memories of Historical Shame and the "Japanese Mother of Korean War Orphans"

Shame memories and eating psychopathology: the buffering effect of self-compassion.

Research suggests that self-compassion may protect against shame in eating disorders. This study examines the association between shame memories, self-compassion, self-judgment and eating psychopathology severity and tests the moderator effect of self-compassion on the relationships between shame memories and eating psychopathology. Participants were 34 patients with the diagnosis of an eating disorder, who were assessed using Eating Disorder Examination and the Shame Experiences Interview and self-report instruments measuring the traumatic and centrality to identity features of shame memories, self-compassion and self-judgment. Self-compassion was negatively correlated to shame memory features and eating psychopathology, and self-judgment was positively associated with such variables. Self-compassion had a moderator effect on the association between shame traumatic and central memories and eating psychopathology severity. This is the first study to explore the buffering effect of self-compassion against the pathogenic effects of shame memories on eating psychopathology severity in eating disorders, with relevant clinical and research implications.

Eating disorders: When social rank perceptions are shaped by early shame experiences

Recent research has shown that early adverse experiences can be an important risk factor for eating disorders. However, the role of early shame memories and how they are structured as traumatic and central memories to self-identity in eating disorders has never been investigated. This study explores the phenomenology of shame memories involving attachment figures and other agents from the wider social domain in patients with eating disorders, and examines the relationship between their traumatic and centrality features, social comparison based on physical appearance, and the severity of eating psychopathology. The study has a cross-sectional design using a structured interview to assess retrospective data. Participants in this study were 36 patients with an eating disorder diagnosis, who were assessed using Eating Disorder Examination (EDE 16.0D), the Shame Experiences Interview (SEI), and self-report instruments measuring the traumatic features and centrality to identity of shame memories and social comparison. Results indicated that the traumatic and centrality qualities of shame memories involving social agents other than attachment figures (e.g., peers) are significantly correlated with unfavourable social rank perceptions and with increased eating psychopathology severity. Furthermore, the impact of such shame memories on eating psychopathology is fully mediated by social comparisons based on physical appearance. These findings highlight the importance of early shame experiences involving peers and other social agents that become traumatic memories, central to self-identity, to eating disorder patients' perceptions of inferiority and their core psychopathology features. Early shame experiences of patients with eating disorders should be carefully assessed. Shame traumatic memories involving social agents outside the family circle (e.g., peers) seem to be especially damaging for patients with eating disorders, and influence how physical appearance is used as a central dimension to establish their social rank. Practitioners should directly work with these shame memories, focusing on diminishing their traumatic nature and reconstruct their central meaning to self-identity.

Centrality of shame memories and psychopathology: The mediator effect of self‐criticism.

Research has shown that the centrality of shame memories is related to psychopathological symptoms. However, little is known about the role of self-criticism on this association. The current study explored a mediator model in which self-criticism was hypothesized to mediate the relationship between centrality of shame memories and depressive symptoms, and between centrality of shame memories and paranoid beliefs. A battery of self-report instruments measuring centrality of shame memory (CES), forms (FSCRS) and functions (FSCS) of self-criticism, depressive symptoms (DASS-42), and paranoid beliefs (GPS) was administered to 204 participants from the general community population. Results showed did centrality of shame memories played an important role in depressive symptoms and paranoid beliefs. Only in depression did measures of self-criticism act as a mediator between centrality of shame and depressive symptomatology. These findings point to the distinct role that self-criticism plays on the relationship between shame memories and depressive and paranoid symptoms, adding to current evolutionary approaches on these two psychopathological features.

Memories of Shame Experiences with Others and Depression Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Experiential Avoidance

Shame experiences have been suggested to be related with psychopathological symptoms and with self-relevant beliefs. Recent studies also suggest that avoidant-focused strategies (e.g., rumination, thought suppression and dissociation) mediate the impact of shame memories and depression symptoms. However, experiential avoidance has been found to mediate the relation between early experience of abuse and psychopathological symptoms. Our goal was to test the mediating effect of experiential avoidance in the relation between both the nature of shame experiences at the hands of caregivers and the centrality of shame memories with others, and depression symptoms. Using structural equation modelling, we assessed the frequency and nature of recalled shame experiences at the hands of caregivers, the centrality of shame experiences with others throughout childhood and adolescence, experiential avoidance and depression symptomatology in 161 participants from general population. Experiential avoidance mediates the impact of shame experiences with caregivers and depression symptoms. Experiential avoidance also mediated the association between the centrality of shame experiences with others and depression symptoms. Our results suggest that shame memories with others do not per se impact on depression symptoms, but rather the unwillingness to experience them and the attempts to control them. Hence, our results emphasize the importance of addressing affect regulation processes such as avoidance when dealing with shame memories, particularly with patients who experience depression symptoms. The recall of shame experiences with caregivers is associated with the experience of depression symptoms, even when these experiences are not perceived as central points to one's life identity and story. This seems to suggest a necessity to explore these experiences in a therapeutic setting. Our findings suggest that experiential avoidance is a key process through which these memories of shame experiences impact on depression symptomatology. Hence, it seems to be of great importance to reduce experiential avoidance and help people change the way they relate with these memories.

Internalizing early memories of shame and lack of safeness and warmth: The mediating role of shame on depression – ERRATUM

Internalizing early memories of shame and lack of safeness and warmth: The mediating role of shame on depression – ERRATUM