Cross-Cultural Invariances in the Architecture of Shame

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America • Vol/Iss. 155 (39) • National Academy of Sciences • Washington, D.C • Published In • Pages: 9702-9707 •
By Sznycer, Daniel, Xygalatas, Dimitris, Agey, Elizabeth, Alami, Sarah, An, Xiao-Fen, Ananyeva, Kristina I., Atkinson, Quentin D., Broitman, Bernardo R., Conte, Thomas J., Flores, Carola, Fukushima, Shintaro, Hitokoto, Hidefumi, Kharitonov, Alexander N. , Onyishi, Charity N. , Onyishi, Ike E. , Romero, Pedro P. , Schrock, Joshua M., Snodgrass, J. Josh, Sugiyama, Lawrence S., Takemura, Kosuke, Townsend, Cathryn, Zhuang, Jin-Ying, Aktipis, C. Athena, Cronk, Lee, Cosmides, Leda, Tooby, John

Abstract

This study looks at the possibility of a universal system of social valuation by examining the correlation between shame and devaluation. Researchers conducted an experiment among 899 participants from 15 communities of high cultural variation in order to test if similar relationships between shame and devaluation exist independently of cultural contact or cultural evolution. The findings reveal that shame and devaluation are closely linked both between individuals and members of a local audience, as well as cross-culturally.

Note

The term devaluation in this study was used to quantify negative perceptions of individuals on a scale from 1 (would not view negatively) to 4 (would view them very negatively). doi: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1805016115

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Researcher's own

Hypotheses (4)

HypothesisSupported
An individual’s degree of self-shame as the result of performing a particular act will be positively associated with the degree of devaluation which the individual’s community places on the act (9704).Supported
Shame and devaluation will be positively associated between individuals and local audiences (9705).Supported
Shame and devaluation will be positively associated between individuals and foreign audiences (9705).Supported
Shame and devaluation will have a higher correlation between an individual and their local audiences compared to a foreign audience (9705).Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: matthew.g.roth  abbe.mccarter  anj.droe