Shame-Focused Coping Styles and Their Associations with Self-Esteem

Abstract

109 college man and 76 college women ranging in age from 17 to 50 years and having an average age of 21 yr. completed Coopersmith's Self-esteem Scale and Elison's Compass of Shame Scale which measures four shame-focused coping styles. The total Compass of Shame score was significantly correlated with the Self-esteem scores. Scores on three of the shame coping subscales, Attack Self, Withdrawal, and Attack Other, were significantly correlated with Self-esteem scores; the Avoidance subscale was not. No significant sex differences were found either on self-esteem or any of the four, shame-coping subscales. A regression model that examined the predictive associations between four subscales of shame and Self-esteem indicated that shame scores accounted for 32% of the variance in Self-esteem.