Guilt and Shame Shape Behavior Through Separate Brain Pathways
Guilt and shame arise from different cognitive triggers and rely on distinct neural systems to guide compensatory behavior. Using a controlled game that manipulated both harm and responsibility, researchers showed that guilt is more strongly driven by the severity of harm caused, while shame is more strongly shaped by how responsible someone feels for that harm. Guilt also more reliably into financial compensation, whereas shame required greater cognitive control to translated influence behavior. Brain imaging confirmed that harm and responsibility are integrated in regions linked to inequity processing and value computation, with guilt- and shame-driven acts activating different circuits. These findings offer a clearer framework for understanding—and potentially regulating—these two powerful social emotions. ….[READ]
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