A network approach to shame: The central roles of self-criticism, self-compassion and self-forgiveness in an aged-diverse sample

Background

Shame, as a complex and global self-conscious emotion, plays a significant role in mental health. Self-criticism is a crucial factor in generating negative emotions, including shame, while self-compassion and self-forgiveness can mitigate the effects of self-criticism and shame. The present study examines the coexistence of these psychological constructs using a network analysis model.

Methods

A diverse sample of 474 Iranian residents, comprising men and women aged 13 to 73, participated in this study through convenience sampling. Variables were assessed using the External and Internal Shame Scale (EISS), the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form, the Levels of Self-Criticism Scale, and the Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS).

Results

We utilized a Graphical Gaussian Model (GGM) with polychoric correlations visualized using the qgraph, bootnet R packages and employed bridge centrality metrics along with permutation-based stability tests and bootstrap resampling to analyse the network's structure and stability. The network analysis revealed that nodes representing internalized self-criticism (IC), comparative self-criticism (CC), and self-forgiveness (SF) exhibited the highest bridge strength, indicating their critical roles in maintaining network connectivity. The network's stability was confirmed with a robust CS coefficient of 0.517, ensuring the reliability of these findings.

Conclusion

This network analysis provides a precise understanding of the relationships between shame, self-criticism, self-compassion, and self-forgiveness. In this study, comparative self-criticism and internal self-criticism emerged as critical factors in the regulation and generation of shame. Comparative self-criticism appears to play a more decisive role in the manifestation of shame.