Feeling One Thing and Doing Another: How Expressions of Guilt and Shame Influence Hypocrisy Judgment
The present study investigated how people, as uninvolved social observers (i.e., those not affected by the emotion expresser’s behavior), judge hypocrisy in a target who publicly expresses their self-conscious emotions (i.e., shame and guilt) after making an immoral decision, then repeats the same i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/12/12/504 |
| _version_ | 1797461438993793024 |
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| author | Hyeman Choi |
| author_facet | Hyeman Choi |
| author_sort | Hyeman Choi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present study investigated how people, as uninvolved social observers (i.e., those not affected by the emotion expresser’s behavior), judge hypocrisy in a target who publicly expresses their self-conscious emotions (i.e., shame and guilt) after making an immoral decision, then repeats the same immoral behavior again. Results across the two studies conducted showed that participants viewed the target as more hypocritical when the target expressed guilt (vs. shame) for their past misdeed and then committed the same act again. The present study suggests that social perceivers tend to infer expressions of guilt (and of shame to a lesser degree) as signaling future changes, which is reflected in judgments of hypocrisy. The study further discusses implications for the social functions of emotional expression and communication. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:19:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ad2ecaf877f840b0b1c46278b70f58fa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:19:25Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-ad2ecaf877f840b0b1c46278b70f58fa2023-11-24T13:19:02ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2022-12-01121250410.3390/bs12120504Feeling One Thing and Doing Another: How Expressions of Guilt and Shame Influence Hypocrisy JudgmentHyeman Choi0Department of Psychology, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Republic of KoreaThe present study investigated how people, as uninvolved social observers (i.e., those not affected by the emotion expresser’s behavior), judge hypocrisy in a target who publicly expresses their self-conscious emotions (i.e., shame and guilt) after making an immoral decision, then repeats the same immoral behavior again. Results across the two studies conducted showed that participants viewed the target as more hypocritical when the target expressed guilt (vs. shame) for their past misdeed and then committed the same act again. The present study suggests that social perceivers tend to infer expressions of guilt (and of shame to a lesser degree) as signaling future changes, which is reflected in judgments of hypocrisy. The study further discusses implications for the social functions of emotional expression and communication.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/12/12/504shameguiltfuture changeemotion expressionhypocrisyredemption |
| spellingShingle | Hyeman Choi Feeling One Thing and Doing Another: How Expressions of Guilt and Shame Influence Hypocrisy Judgment Behavioral Sciences shame guilt future change emotion expression hypocrisy redemption |
| title | Feeling One Thing and Doing Another: How Expressions of Guilt and Shame Influence Hypocrisy Judgment |
| title_full | Feeling One Thing and Doing Another: How Expressions of Guilt and Shame Influence Hypocrisy Judgment |
| title_fullStr | Feeling One Thing and Doing Another: How Expressions of Guilt and Shame Influence Hypocrisy Judgment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Feeling One Thing and Doing Another: How Expressions of Guilt and Shame Influence Hypocrisy Judgment |
| title_short | Feeling One Thing and Doing Another: How Expressions of Guilt and Shame Influence Hypocrisy Judgment |
| title_sort | feeling one thing and doing another how expressions of guilt and shame influence hypocrisy judgment |
| topic | shame guilt future change emotion expression hypocrisy redemption |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/12/12/504 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hyemanchoi feelingonethinganddoinganotherhowexpressionsofguiltandshameinfluencehypocrisyjudgment |