Rumination and Self-reflection: Acting as a Buffer Between Guilt Proneness and Shame Proneness

Abstract

The self-conscious emotions of guilt and shame are substantially different, yet because they are so closely associated, their distinguishing criteria are still up for debate. While each has its own interpretation, this study is aimed to advance the understanding of whether an individual is more likely to experience guilt or shame. Humans are frequently assessing their intimate thoughts and feelings; research has looked into how frequently people introspect and the effects of self-focus on action. People engage in two types of self-analyses, according to recent research: self-reflection and self-rumination, both of which have opposing implications. A growing body of research demonstrates that one’s private self-consciousness can help or hurt one’s performance in a variety of domains. We distinguish self-reflection from self-rumination and guilt-proneness from shame proneness in this conceptual article. The present research will measure guilt and shame proneness in a sample of 116 young adults in the age group of 18-28 using the Guilt and Shame Process Scale (GASP) and evaluate the levels of self-rumination and self-reflection of the same using the Rumination Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ) in linear regression analysis and correlation analysis to find simple associations between the variables.