Emotions of the Imperiled Ego: Shame, Guilt, Jealousy, Envy

Question 1

What are two similarities between guilt and shame discussed in this chapter? What are two differences?

Answer 1

Similarities
-Secondary/complex emotions
-Require a sense of self
-Require the development of set of standards to evaluate the self against
-Brought about by failures or transgressions

Differences
-When experiencing shame, focus is on the self. When experiencing guilt, focus is on behavior.
-Shame is more enduring

Question 2

What are two similarities between jealousy and envy discussed in this chapter? What are two differences?

Answer 2

Similarities
-Social-comparative emotions
-Reflection on one’s personal qualities
-Comparison of personal qualities with those of another

Differences
-Jealousy involves a fear of losing what one already has
-Envy involves the desire for the possessions of another

Question 3

What is the self-evaluation maintenance model? Be sure to describe the roles of comparison and reflection.

Answer 3

-people are motivated to maintain and/or raise their positive self-evaluation
-when people are faced w/ a situation where the other has possessions they desire
or performs well on a task, 2 opposing process are possible:

Comparison
-the superior performance of another lowers one’s self-evaluation

Reflection
-the good performance or possessions of another raise one’s
self-evaluation

The relevance of the performance or possessions of the other to
one’s self-definition determines whether they experience comparison or reflection