Evaluation of Shame and Guilt Emotions in the Scope of Cognitive Psychology

Söylemez, S; Koyuncu, M; Amado, S

Evaluation of Shame and Guilt Emotions in the Scope of Cognitive Psychology

Authors

Söylemez, S

Koyuncu, M

Amado, S

Publisher

ISTANBUL UNIV

Abstract

Shame and guilt, which are classified as social emotions, are evaluated like a warning signal or a physiological punishment that regulates behavior during a social exclusion danger. These emotions play a key role in many psychological issues and are closely related to cognitive psychology. Besides the functions of shame and guilt in daily life, their adaptive and physiological characteristics, evolutionary features, and neurological structures draw attention to the relationship between these emotions and cognitive structures. However, in existing studies of cognitive psychology, these emotions have not been processed as extensively as basic emotions. In this review, shame and guilt emotions are introduced and their relation with cognitive psychology is tried to be emphasized. The literature reports that these emotions differ from basic emotions and from each other. Evolutionary sources are used to emphasize the importance of the feelings of shame and guilt and understand the functions they possess. Neurocognitive resources are utilized to evaluate the relation of these emotions with cognition on the basis of their extensions in the brain. At the end of the review, existing studies on shame and guilt in cognitive psychology are addressed. A brief summary about which subjects in relation to these emotions have been studied in Turkey in relation to these emotions is presented. This review concludes that a comprehensive approach needs to be adapted in future studies while discussing shame and guilt by considering cognitive properties of these emotions.