A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology at the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2011. / The field of moral reasoning has been surrounded by controversy. A lot of research has been done on the subject and a lot of theorists have differed much on thoughts, ideas and on how does an individual become a morally reasoning being. Our decisions pertaining certain issues are generally informed by our morals, values and beliefs. As we develop and grow in our respective societies, one discovers that how generally the society believes and views certain matters influence how one personally views the issue. Schools are especially one of the playgrounds that children enter into and form relationships with their peers. Inevitably they start to look at certain issues through the eyes of their peers. One may ask, what then happens to what the individual was raised to believe and know as wrong or right. This study seeks to understand the relationship between moral reasoning and sex guilt to premarital sex in adolescents in high schools. A sample of 40 participants was randomly selected for the study which comprised of 16 females and 24 males. The results indicated that there is no relationship between premarital sex and sex guilt to premarital sex in adolescents. The methodology used and the results found are interpreted and explained in the study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the degrees of proneness to the self-conscious emotions of nonruminative guilt, ruminative guilt, and shame and several indices of psychological functioning, including depression, narcissism, anger, dysphoric affect, cooperation, need for affection, and self-inspection, in a college population. Gender differences were also examined. A measure of psychological functioning (the Rorschach) and a measure of guilt- and shame-proneness (the Test of Self-Conscious Affect--Modified) were administered to 91 college students (43 males and 48 females). Females reported higher levels of all three self-conscious emotions. The only gender difference found among the psychological functioning variables was higher levels of narcissism for males. For the total sample, cooperation was related to nonruminative guilt, whereas an unhealthy level of need for affection was related to ruminative guilt and shame. When males and females were considered separately, depression was related to ruminative guilt in males, but not in females. Narcissism was related to all three emotions for males, but not for females. An absence of dysphoric affect was associated with nonruminative guilt in females. Cooperation and self-inspection both correlated with nonruminative guilt for females, but not for males. The predominant emotion related to unhealthy levels of need for affection was shame for males but ruminative guilt for females. Preliminary results from 21 subjects with positive DEPI scores differed from the results of the entire sample in the relationships between the self-conscious emotions and dysphoric affect, self-inspection, and cooperation. Study results were discussed in light of the different levels of awareness at which the Rorschach and the TOSCA--M assess emotions and psychological functioning. Socialization of gender differences in guilt- and shame-proneness was also discussed. Implications for treatment, future research, and creation of future assessments of guilt- and shame-proneness were examined.

No description available.

Thesis advisor: Richard Kearney / I propose and analyze moral emotions that are fittingly experienced when one is socially, institutionally, or structurally affiliated with a perpetrator without causally contributing to their harm. The project explores the nature, scope, and urgency of our reactive attitudes and concomitant responsibilities that arise on account of harms caused by social and political relations. Drawing from resources in phenomenology, social epistemology, moral psychology, and feminist ethics, I argue that affective experiences can direct attention towards the moral salience of our relations and open the way for taking accountability for others’ harm. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Philosophy.

Many gay Christians these days feel as if they need to choose to be either gay or Christian. Verses in the Bible' condemn homosexuality, and so guilt, shame, and denial are often experienced among gay Christians in particular, especially if they have nonaccepting parents. If a gay Christian believes that God does not accept their gay identity, then they will be confused as to who they are. As a gay Christian myself, I have felt in conflict with my identity throughout my life. Initially, I began this paper in conjunction with a documentary I made about a relationship. I had with another woman. In the documentary, I explore this issue of identity and religion, and I seek to find answers as to where exactly my guilt could have stemmed from. Making the film was a journey I took to find peace with my faith and orientation. In this paper, I will explain how I have changed and pinpointed my guiit throughout the process of making this documentary entitled, Seeing with the Heart.

The construct of guilt has been a subject of debate among philosophers, theologians, sociologists and psychologists for centuries. Disagreements concerning guilt have emerged on the definitional level, measurement level, and conceptual level due to the various ways guilt can be experienced and interpreted. Researchers continue to empirically investigate various aspects of guilt in an effort to advance and refine our understanding of the construct; however, differences among researchers in assessing the impact of guilt on psychological well-being still exist. The purpose of this study is to investigate the internal factor structure of three prominent measures of guilt. This will enable us to develop a more concise guilt measure en route to reconciling these differences and better conceptualizing the construct.

Aan die hand van 'n literatuur- en empiriese studie is daar ondersoek ingestel na die fenomene skuld en skaamte. Vir diagnosering is daar onderskeid tussen die emosies gemaak. Dit blyk dat die belewing van skaamgevoelens direk met die self te doen het, terwyl skuldgevoelens fokus op die daad wat gedoen of versuim is. Aan die hand van 'n literatuurstudie is riglyne vir die hantering van skuld en skaamte voorgestel. 'n Vraelys is daargestel om skuld en skaamte te identifiseer, om die intensiteit van die emosies te bepaal asook om te onderskei tussen rasionele of irrasionele belewing van skuld en skaamte. 'n Empiriese studie is gedoen om kwalitatief na 'n paar gevallestudies te kyk om sodoende die effektiwiteit van die psigoterapeutiese model en die vraelys te bepaal. Bevindinge van die empiriese studie dui daarop dat die psigoterapeutiese model en die vraelys effektief vir die hantering van skuld en skaamte is. / The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the phenomena guilt and shame. For effective diagnosis a differentiation between the two emotions was made. It appears that shame feelings focus directly towards the self. Guilt feelings focus on "wrong" or neglected deeds. In view of literature and empirical investigations guidelines were set up for the handling of guilt and shame. A questionnaire was developed to identify guilt and shame, to determine the intensity of these feelings and to differentiate between rational and irrational guilt and shame. Results of the empirical study indicated that the psychotherapeutic model and questionnaire were effective in the treatment of guilt and shame. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Thesis (Ed. S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Psychology, 2004. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 66-69).

Aan die hand van 'n literatuur- en empiriese studie is daar ondersoek ingestel na die fenomene skuld en skaamte. Vir diagnosering is daar onderskeid tussen die emosies gemaak. Dit blyk dat die belewing van skaamgevoelens direk met die self te doen het, terwyl skuldgevoelens fokus op die daad wat gedoen of versuim is. Aan die hand van 'n literatuurstudie is riglyne vir die hantering van skuld en skaamte voorgestel. 'n Vraelys is daargestel om skuld en skaamte te identifiseer, om die intensiteit van die emosies te bepaal asook om te onderskei tussen rasionele of irrasionele belewing van skuld en skaamte. 'n Empiriese studie is gedoen om kwalitatief na 'n paar gevallestudies te kyk om sodoende die effektiwiteit van die psigoterapeutiese model en die vraelys te bepaal. Bevindinge van die empiriese studie dui daarop dat die psigoterapeutiese model en die vraelys effektief vir die hantering van skuld en skaamte is. / The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the phenomena guilt and shame. For effective diagnosis a differentiation between the two emotions was made. It appears that shame feelings focus directly towards the self. Guilt feelings focus on "wrong" or neglected deeds. In view of literature and empirical investigations guidelines were set up for the handling of guilt and shame. A questionnaire was developed to identify guilt and shame, to determine the intensity of these feelings and to differentiate between rational and irrational guilt and shame. Results of the empirical study indicated that the psychotherapeutic model and questionnaire were effective in the treatment of guilt and shame. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Fictional narratives of 68 female undergraduates classified as either high or low on sex-guilt were rated for libidinal content following subliminal exposure to either a sex-related or a neutral stimulus. Separate dependent measures were obtained for libidinal derivatives bearing either a transparently "close" or a symbolically "distant" relationship to the sex-related stimulus. Subjects in the sex-related stimulus condition expressed significantly fewer close libidinal derivatives than subjects in the neutral condition. High sex-guilt subjects' distant derivative production revealed a near-significant trend toward repression in the neutral condition, but the greatest amount of expression in the sex-related condition. Type of defenses employed are discussed as a function of subliminally perceived stimulus threat.