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Development and Preliminary Validation of a New Measure to Assess Shame: The Shame Inventory

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Abstract

Research on the emotion of shame has increased significantly in recent years. However, there remains a need for more psychometrically sound measures of shame, including measures of shame in response to specific, idiographic experiences. The Shame Inventory was developed in order to assess both global feelings of shame as well as shame in response to specific life events or personal characteristics. Two studies were conducted to determine the preliminary psychometric properties of the Shame Inventory. Across both studies, results indicate that the inventory has high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and predictive validity. The Shame Inventory holds promise as a new measure designed to assess both global feelings of shame as well as specific shame-eliciting cues.

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Acknowledgement

The author would like to thank Michael Suvak, Brett Litz, Tracie Shea, and Shirley Yen for assistance with data collection and comments on earlier versions of the measure, Marsha Linehan for assistance with measure development, and Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault and Sarah Reynolds for comments on versions of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. GSAPP, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA

    Shireen L. Rizvi

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  1. Shireen L. Rizvi
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Correspondence to Shireen L. Rizvi.

Appendix. The Shame Inventory

Appendix. The Shame Inventory

Part I

Shame is a negative and painful feeling in which the entire self is viewed as bad and/or worthless. It may be accompanied by urges to withdraw or conceal some behavior or aspect of yourself. Shame is different from just generally being upset or distressed, because it relates to how you feel about yourself. Some people experience shame on a regular basis; others hardly experience shame at all.

figure a

Part II

This is a list of situations and behaviors that may be related to the experience of shame for you. Please write a number (between 0–4) beside each statement which indicates the intensity of your shame about that event. If the statement does not apply to you, write an “X” beside the statement.

figure b
figure c

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Rizvi, S.L. Development and Preliminary Validation of a New Measure to Assess Shame: The Shame Inventory. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 32, 438–447 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-009-9172-y

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