Ronda L. Dearing

Reports on a fascinating body of research. Many people use "shame" and "guilt" interchangeably but there are important distinctions. Guilt=feeling bad about something you DID. Shame=feeling that YOU are bad. Turns out that guilt can help people change their behavior or make amends. Shame is not that useful: it makes people hide or lash out. In one of their studies, they tested 5th graders and then checked in with them years later. The kids who were prone to shame in 5th grade by 17 were more likely to have dropped out of school, been arrested, used drugs, or become pregnant. The book has enough rigor for serious social scientists but is quite accessible to non-specialists.… (more)