Shame in Korean Language: Factor Analysis of Shame-Related Adjectives.
- Author:
Jai Sung NOH
1
;
Ho Young LEE
;
Sun Mi CHO
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea. smcho@ajou.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Shame;
Culture;
Factor analysis
- MeSH:
Adult;
Checklist;
Cheek;
Depression;
Factor Analysis, Statistical;
Humans;
Principal Component Analysis;
Surveys and Questionnaires;
Research Personnel;
Shame;
Shyness;
Social Desirability;
Weights and Measures
- From:Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association
2011;50(1):47-53
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate shame-related adjectives in the Korean language and to explore the factor structure of these adjectives. METHODS: Shame-related words were extracted from an adjectives checklist, the Korean Dictionary, the Korean Synonym Dictionary, and various shame scales developed by Western investigators. A questionnaire (the Korean Shame Scale: KSS) was constructed from 62 selected adjectives, and administered to 210 college students and 204 adults. The subjects also completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Brief-Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale, the Revised Cheek & Buss Shyness Scale, and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. RESULTS: A principal component analysis of the KSS data revealed a four factor structure: mortification, modesty, shyness, and embarrassment. All except the modesty factor showed significant correlations with depression, fear of negative evaluation, social avoidance and distress, and shyness. The college student group reported experiencing a shame-related distressful emotion more frequently than the adult group. CONCLUSION: Shame was found to be a complex psychological construct composed of quite different emotions. These emotions not only included painful feelings and uncomfortable self-consciousness, but were also related to personality traits and interpersonal attitudes.
