Shame and Shyness

Abstract

Shame and shyness play a highly important role in human affairs, but they have been much less studied than emotions such as anger and fear. The apparent relationship between anger and at least some forms of aggression and the relationship between fear and the complex concept of anxiety have resulted in extensive studies of at least certain aspects of these emotions. The social and clinical significance of both normal and deviant anger- and fear-related behavior and the effects of these emotions upon individuals and groups have caught the attention of scientists for many decades. The effects of shame on the individual and on social relations, however, has not been so evident or compelling for most behavioral scientists.