title: Intensity of habitual guilt in men and women: differences in interpersonal sensitivity and the tendency towards anxious-aggressive guilt.
abstract: In this study we analyzed gender differences in the intensity of habitual guilt, as well as those in interpersonal sensitivity and the tendency towards experiencing feelings of guilt with a high anxious-aggressive component. The 360 participants (adolescents, young adults and adults) were asked to relate one of the situations that most frequently caused them to experience guilt and to rank its intensity and that of 9 other emotions they may have experienced at the same time on a 7-point scale. These scales were used to obtain the scores for the anxious-aggressive component of guilt. Two interpersonal sensitivity measures were used: the IRI Empathic Concern scale and an ad hoc measure focusing on the guilt produced by interpersonal events (Interpersonal Guilt). Habitual guilt was found to be more intense in women than in men in all age groups. The results suggest that this difference is linked to differences in interpersonal sensitivity and the tendency to experience types of guilt with a high anxious-aggressive component.
authors.affiliation: Universidad del País Vasco, Spain. itziar.etxebarria@ehu.es
authors.forename: Itziar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Etxebarria
authors.forename: M José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Conejero
authors.forename: Aitziber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pascual
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D000786:Anger; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012931:Social Environment; D013240:Stereotyping; D055815:Young Adult