This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Baumeister, R. F. Articles by Delespaul, P. A.E.G. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Baumeister, R. F. Articles by Delespaul, P. A.E.G. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Subjective and Experiential Correlates of Guilt in Daily Life

Case Western Reserve University

Harry T. Reis

University of Rochester

Philippe A.E.G. Delespaul

Rijksuniversiteit Limburg

Study 1 examined everyday guilt with an experience sampling method. Mild guilt feelings were common in this adult sample, although strong or severe guilt feelings were rare. Guilt feelings were positively correlated with aversive arousal states and were negatively correlated with pleasant, relaxed states. Guilt feelings were fairly evenly distributed across a broad range of activities and thought patterns, with the exception that thinking about self in relation to others was associated with especially high frequencies of guilt. Guilt was linked to social distress, such as interpersonal conflict, rejection, and loneliness, as well as to feelings of uncertainty. In Study 2, guilt was found to be more linked to interpersonal circumstances and close relationships than a variety of other negative affective states. The results generally support theoretical views of guilt as relevant to action control and interpersonal relations.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. F. Baumeister, K. D. Vohs, C. Nathan DeWall, and Liqing Zhang How Emotion Shapes Behavior: Feedback, Anticipation, and Reflection, Rather Than Direct Causation Personality and Social Psychology Review, May 1, 2007; 11(2): 167 - 203. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. Iyer, C. W. Leach, and F. J. Crosby White Guilt and Racial Compensation: The Benefits and Limits of Self-Focus Pers Soc Psychol Bull, January 1, 2003; 29(1): 117 - 129. [Abstract] [PDF]