The effect of shame on prosocial behavior tendency toward a stranger

• Published in: BMC Psychology Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 308
• Main Authors: Li, Saiqi, Wang, Liusheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 15.12.2022; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Affect; Altruism; Behavior; Benefactor; Chinese culture; College students; Emotions; Experiments; Forecasts and trends; Helping behavior; Humans; Hypotheses; Influence; Motivation; Motive of shame; Private shame; Prosocial behavior tendency; Public shame; Shame; Social aspects; Social Behavior; Stranger; Strangers; China; Benefactor; Motive of shame; Stranger; Prosocial behavior tendency; Private shame; Public shame
• ISSN: 2050-7283; 2050-7283
• DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-01021-1

This study aimed to examine the effect of different types of shame on prosocial behavior tendency to different help-seekers. A total of 120 participants were randomly assigned to a neutral mood condition, a public shame or a private shame condition. All participants rated their willingness to help a benefactor and a stranger in an everyday helping situation and a money-donating situation after emotion-induction. The study found a higher willingness of participants in the public shame group to help strangers than those in neutral mood and private shame groups. These findings support a facilitation effect of public shame on prosocial behavior tendency toward strangers, indicating an effect of restoring motive of shame on social interaction. The results are further discussed in light of the functionalism of shame.