What's the difference between guilt and shame?

Tangney and Dearing delve into the nature of shame and guilt, and the implications of these emotions for self-esteem, relationships, psychological and behavioral adjustment and "doing the right thing."

Tangney and Stuewig show that, among both elementary school children and jail inmates, shame and guilt predict serious real-life risk-taking and offenses years later.

Tangney describes the difference between shame and guilt, and summarizes 20 years of research on the implications of these moral emotions for mental health, relationships and behavior. She explores the possibility of transmission of shame and guilt across family generations and summarizes initial work with incarcerated people.