Recognition of self-conscious emotions in relation to psychopathology


Tezin Türü: Doktora

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi, Psikoloji Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2007

Öğrenci: İREM MOTAN

Danışman: FARUK GENÇÖZ

Özet:

The aim of this study is to discover nonverbal, bodily gesture and contextual cues indicating self-conscious emotions and use these clues to examine personal differences and psychopathological symptoms. Moreover, possible effects of cultural differences on self-conscious emotions’ recognition and their relation to psychopathology are meant to be discussed. To achieve aforementioned goals, the study is partitioned into three separate but interdependent phases. The aim of the study is scale adaptation for which the State Shame and Guilt Scale, Test of Self-Conscious Affect-3, Guilt- Shame Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Depression Inventory are applied to a group of 250 university students. The second study’s objective is to determine the nonverbal expressions used in recognition of self-conscious emotions. To meet this goal, 5 TAT cards, whose compatibility with the research questions is verified, are applied to 45 university students in separate sessions by using close ended questions. In the third part of the study, 9 TAT cards, which include clues about recognition and nonverbal expressions of self-conscious emotions, adapted corresponding scales, and a psychopathological symptoms measuring scale (SCL-90) in self-report format are applied on a group of 250 university students. Factor and correlation analyses done in the first part reveal that adapted scales are reliable and valid, while group comparisons and measurements of the second part indicate differences in emotions. Findings reveal that shame can be recognized by nonverbal expressions whereas for guilt contextual clues are facilitated. In the third part, group comparisons and regression analyses, which are done in order to reveal self-conscious emotions’ recognition and their significant relationships with psychopathology, display that state self-conscious emotions and shame-proneness have very important roles on psychopathology. All these findings are discussed in the light of cultural effects.