Associations of Shame and Guilt With Externalising Behaviour in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) and Hearing Children

Abstract

Moral emotions evolve during the first years of life, making children abiding by societal rules. Recent studies on young children showed that guilt and shame impact social relationships differently. Whereas guilt is associated with fewer externalising problems, the opposite seems true for shame. How these emotions affect peer-related aggression in young children had not yet been studied. We examined these relationships in 42 deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) and 199 hearing children (mean age 5 years, 2 months). Since these emotions rely on input from the social environment, their development might be more difficult for DHH children who often face (invisible) barriers to accessing their social surroundings. Statistical analyses revealed no group differences, but correlations confirmed differential links for shame and guilt with externalising problems and peer-related aggression. Guilt related to less peer-related aggression, whereas shame related to more reactive aggression, which suggests feelings of retaliation, thus possibly harming social relationships.