title: Shame regulation in personality pathology.
abstract: Drawing on extant work on shame and emotion regulation, this article proposes that three broad forms of maladaptive shame regulation strategies are fundamental in much of personality pathology: Prevention (e.g., dependence, fantasy), used preemptively, lessens potential for shame; Escape (e.g., social withdrawal, misdirection) reduces current or imminent shame; Aggression, used after shame begins, refocuses shame into anger directed at the self (e.g., physical self-harm) or others (e.g., verbal aggression). This article focuses on the contributions of shame regulation to the development and maintenance of personality pathology, highlighting how various maladaptive shame regulation strategies may lead to personality pathology symptoms, associated features, and dimensions. Consideration is also given to the possible shame-related constructs necessitating emotion regulation (e.g., shame aversion and proneness) and the points in the emotion process when regulation can occur.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA. mschoen2@illinois.edu
authors: Michelle
authors: M
authors: Schoenleber
authors: Howard
authors: H
authors: Berenbaum
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000374:Aggression; D017004:Codependency, Psychological; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005201:Fantasy; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012752:Shame; D012934:Social Isolation