Guilt (emotion)

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/guilt-emotion

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the distinction from shame?Guilt focuses on specific behaviors, while shame targets the self as flawed
2. What is the neurobiological correlates?Involves the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and insula
3. What is guilt and how is it different from shame?Guilt is a feeling of being bad about a specific action you did. Shame is a feeling that you are a bad person overall. Guilt focuses on the behavior, while shame focuses on the self.
4. Why do we feel guilt when we break rules?Guilt helps us keep friends and trust. It tells us that we hurt someone or broke a rule, so we can fix it.

Self-Conscious Emotion: Emotions that involve awareness of oneself in relation to others or social standards.
Moral Transgression: An act that violates a recognized moral rule or principle.
Atonement: The action of making amends for a wrong or injury; reparation.