Psychological Development and Education ›› 2019, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (2): 219-226.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2019.02.11

Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Self-Punishment Function of Adolescents' Self-injury: From Guilt or Shame?

WANG Yulong1, CHEN Huiling1, Qin Yalan1, LIN Xiuyun2   

  1. 1. School of Education, Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081;
    2. Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875
  • Published:2019-04-19

RichHTML

PDF (PC)

Abstract: To explore emotional conditions of self-punishment function of self-injury among adolescents, two sub-studies were finished by using experimental or questionnaire method. Two experiments were included in study 1. Behavioral experiments was conducted in experiment 1 which included 60 adolescents and experiment 2 which included 87 adolescents. In the second study, 723 adolescents were investigated with adolescent self-injury behavior questionnaire, middle school students' shame scale and middle school students' guilt scale. The results of behavioral experiments showed that both guilt and shame could effectively induce self-injured behavior in adolescents, while self-injured behavior could effectively alleviate the sense of guilt and shame in adolescents. The results of questionnaire survey showed that self-injured adolescents had a significant negative correlation with guilt and a significant positive correlation with shame. Therefore, the emotional condition to maintain the self-punishment function of self-injured behavior is shame, not guilt.

Key words: self-injury, self-punishment, shame, guilt, adolescent

American Psychiatric Association.(2013).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).Washington, DC:Author.
Bastian, B., Jetten, J.,& Fasoli,F.(2011). Cleansing the Soul by Hurting the Flesh The Guilt-Reducing Effect of Pain. Psychological Science, 22(3), 334-335.
Bereczkei, T.,Birkas, B.,& Kerekes,Z.(2010).The presence of others, prosocial traits, Machiavellianism:A personality×situation approach. Social Psychology, 41(4), 238-245.
Chao, Y.H.,Yang, C.C.,& Chiou, W.B.(2012).Food as ego-protective remedy for people experiencing shame. Experimental evidence for a new perspective on weight-related shame. Appetite, 59(2), 570-575.
Cohen,T.R., Wolf, S.T.,Panter, A.T.,& Insko, C.A.(2011).Introducing the GASP scale:a new measure of guilt and shame proneness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(5), 947-966.
Doksat, N.G., Zahmacioglu, O., Demirci, A.C., Kocaman, G.M., & Erdogan, A.(2017). Association of suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-injury behaviors with substance use and family characteristics among children and adolescents seeking treatment for substance use disorder. Substance Use & Misuse, 52(5), 604-613.
Gratz,K.L.(2003).Risk factors for and functions of deliberate self-harm:An empirical and conceptual review. Clinical Psychology:Science and Practice, 10(2), 192-205.
GuvendegerDoksat,N., Zahmacioglu,O.,Ciftci Demirci,A., Kocaman,G.M.,& Erdogan,A.(2017).Association of suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-injury behaviors with substance use and family characteristics among children and adolescents seeking treatment for substance use disorder. Substance Use & Misuse, 52(5), 604-613.
Hamza, C.H., Willoughby, T., & Armiento, J. (2014). A laboratory examination of pain threshold and tolerance among nonsuicidal self-injuries with and without self-punishing motivations. Archives of Scientific Psychology, 2, 33-42.
Howe-Martin, L.S., Murrell, A. R.,& Guarnaccia, C. A.(2012).Repetitive nonsuicidal self-injury as experiential avoidance among a community sample of adolescents. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68 (7), 809-828.
Inbar,Y.,Pizarro,D.A.,Gilovich, T.,& Ariely, D.(2013). Moral masochism:on the connection between guilt and self-punishment. Emotion, 13(1), 14-18.
Kirtley O.K., O'Carroll R.E., & Connor R.C. (2016). Pain and self-harm:A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders. http://dx. org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.05.068
Klaassen,J.A.(2001). The Taint of Shame:Failure, Self-Distress, and Moral Growth. Journal of Social Philosophy, 32(2), 174-196.
Klonsky, E.D. (2007). The functions of deliberate self-injury:A review of the evidence. Clinical Psychology Review, 27(2), 226-239.
Klonsky,E.D.,Oltmanns,T.F., & Turkheimer,E. (2003). Deliberate self-harm in a nonclinical population:Prevalence and psychological correlates. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160(8), 1501-1508.
Klonsky,E.D.,& Glenn,C.R.(2009). Assessing the functions of non-suicidal self-injury:Psychometric properties of the Inventory of Statements About Self-injury (ISAS).Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 31(3), 215-219.
Klonsky,E.D.,& Olino,T.M.(2008). Identifying clinically distinct subgroups of self-injurers among young adults:a latent class analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76(1), 22-27.
Klonsky,E.D., May,A. M.,& Glenn,C. R.(2013).The relationship between nonsuicidal self-injury and attempted suicide:Converging Evidence from four samples. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 122(1), 231-237.
Koenig,J.,Jarczok,M.N.,Ellis,R.J.,Bach,C., Thayer,J.F.,& Hillecke, T.K.(2014). Two-week test-retest stability of the cold pressor task procedure at two different temperatures as a measure of pain threshold and tolerance. Pain Practice, 14(3), 126-135.
Laye-Gindhu,A.,& Schonert-Reichl, K.A.(2005).Nonsuicidal self-harm among community adolescents:Understanding the "whats" and "whys" of self-harm. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34(5), 447-457.
Nelissen, R.M.(2012).Guilt-induced self-punishment as a sign of remorse. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 3(2), 139-144.
Nixon,M.K., Cloutier, P.F.,& Aggarwal,S.(2002).Affect regulation and addictive aspects of repetitive self-injury in hospitalized adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 41(11), 1333-1341.
Nock, M.K., Prinstein, M.J.,& Sterba,S. K.(2009).Revealing the form and function of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors:A real-time ecological assessment study among adolescents and young adults. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 118(4), 816-827.
Nock,M.K.,& Favazza, A.R.(2009).Nonsuicidal self-injury:definition and classification (Vol. xiii). Washington, DC:American Psychological Association.
Ohtsubo,Y.,& Watanabe,E.(2013).Unintentional unfair behavior promotes charitable donation. Letters on Evolutionary Behavioral Science,4(1),1-4.
Smith, N.B., Steele, A.M., Weitzman, M.L., Trueba, A.F.,& Meuret, A. E.(2015). Investigating the Role of Self-Disgust in Nonsuicidal Self-Injury. Archives of Suicide Research, 19(1), 60-74.
Sornberger,M.J., Smith, N.G., Toste, J.R.,& Heath, N.L.(2013).Nonsuicidal self-injury, coping strategies, and sexual orientation.Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69 (6), 571-583.
Sznycer,D.,Takemura, K., Delton,A.W., Sato,K.,Robertson, T.,Cosmides,L.,& Tooby, J.(2012).Cross-cultural differences and similarities in proneness to shame:An adaptationist and ecological approach. Evolutionary Psychology, 10(2), 352-370.
Tanaka,H.,Yagi,A.,Komiya,A.,Mifune, N.,& Ohtsubo,Y.(2015).Shame-prone people are more likely to punish themselves:A test of the reputation-maintenance explanation for self-punishment. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, 9(1), 1-7.
Tangney,J.P.,& Dearing,R.(2002). Shame and guilt. New York, NY:Guilford Press.
Wilkinson,P.(2013).Non-suicidal self-injury. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 22(1), 75-79.
高学德.(2006). 反事实思维与内疚和羞耻关系的实证研究(硕士学位论文).西北师范大学,兰州.
高学德. (2013). 羞耻研究:概念、结构及其评定. 心理科学进展,21(8),1450-1456.
何华容,丁道群. (2016). 内疚:一种有益的负性情绪. 心理研究, 8(1),3-8.
冷冰冰, 王香玲, 高贺明, 李富洪. (2015). 内疚的认知和情绪活动及其脑区调控. 心理科学进展, 23(12),2064-2071.
李磊, 何欣, 袁彦. (2012). 中学生内疚感量表的编制及其信度子效度检验. 辽宁医学院学报:社会科学版, 10(1),57-59.
亓圣华, 张彤, 李繁荣, 李志伟. (2008). 中学生羞耻感量表的编制. 中国临床心理学杂志, 16(6), 599-601.
王玉龙, 覃雅兰, 肖璨, 蔺秀云. (2016). 父母冲突与青少年自伤的关系:一个有调节的中介模型. 心理发展与教育, 32(3),377-384.
于丽霞. (2013). 一样自伤两样人:自伤青少年的分类研究(博士学位论文).华中师范大学,武汉.
张琨,方平,姜媛,于悦,欧阳恒磊. (2014).道德视野下的内疚. 心理科学进展, 22(10), 1628-1636.
朱睿达, 张燊, 申学易, 刘超.(2014). 自我惩罚:影响因素, 模型与展望. 心理科学进展,22(12),1935-1943.
[1] WU Min, ZHANG Jie, YE Panqin, GONG Xi, YUAN Keman. Developmental Trajectories of Non-suicidal Self-injury in Left-behind Children: The Impact of Peer Victimization Patterns [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2026, 42(4): 586-595.
[2] LI Xuan, MA Shufeng. The Influence of Collaborative Reasoning on Chinese Adolescents’ Development of Peer Relationships [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2026, 42(3): 315-325.
[3] ZHAO Taige, SHENG Liang, GAO Junjie, XIN Sufei. Longitudinal Associations between Parental Emotional Warmth and Adolescent Prosocial Behavior Tendency: The Mediation Role of Upward Social Comparison [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2026, 42(3): 437-446.
[4] HE Zhen, ZHAN Lin, ZENG Zihao, HU Yiqiu. The Effect of Shame on Adolescent Subjective Well-being: The Role of Prosocial Behavior and Interpersonal Relationships [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2026, 42(2): 172-181.
[5] XIANG Yanhui, MA Liping, HU Yunqi, LI Xiaojun. The Relationship between Psychological Adaptation and Internal and External Aggression among Adolescents: Evidence from a Longitudinal Study and a Weekly Diary Method [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2026, 42(1): 85-97.
[6] BIAN Haotian, ZHUANG Ruixue, WANG Jiabao, BIAN Yufang, LIANG Lichan. Parental Burnout and Adolescents’Internet Gaming Addiction: Roles of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction, Effortful Control and Gender [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2026, 42(1): 110-120.
[7] YANG Shuyun, LI Zihan, REN Ping. Effects of Bullying Victimization on NSSI in Early Adolescent: The Role of Loneliness and Emotion Regulation Strategies [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2026, 42(1): 121-130.
[8] WANG Yulong, WANG Danyun, LIN Xiuyun. The Relationship between Non-suicidal Self-injury and Suicidal Ideation during Early Adolescence: The Longitudinal Moderating Role of Parent-child Communication [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2026, 42(1): 142-152.
[9] ZHENG Tianpeng, ZHOU Xinran, LIANG Lichan, YUAN Keman, BIAN Yufang. Relationship between Parent-adolescent Discrepancies in Perceived Parental Warmth and Children’s Depressive Symptoms and Aggressive Behavior [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2025, 41(6): 869-880.
[10] CHEN Zixun, BAI Rong, LI Jinwen, XU Chengrui. The Longitudinal Relationship between Inter-parental Conflict and Mobile Phone Addiction in Adolescence: The Role of Impulsivity and Friend Support [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2025, 41(6): 892-902.
[11] TANG Jiayi, FU Chengyu, XU Wei. The Influence of Family Function on Adolescents’ Depression and Social Anxiety: The Mediating Role of Belief in a Just World [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2025, 41(5): 701-709.
[12] ZHANG Feng, HUANG Silin, MEI Kehan, ZHANG Jiatian, DENG Yiyi. The Effects of Social Mobility Beliefs on Academic Persistence of Chinese Rural Adolescents in Areas out of Povery: The Moderating Role of Academic Coping Strategies [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2025, 41(4): 510-517.
[13] PENG Daju, CHENG Cheng, GUO Peiyang, XU Yang. A Common Factor Model of Callous-unemotional Traits and Borderline Personality Traits in Adolescents: A Cross-lagged Study [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2025, 41(4): 528-538.
[14] WANG Lingfei, ZHANG Mingming, YUAN Keman, BIAN Yufang. The Relationship between Parenting Self-efficacy and Adolescent Anxiety: The Mediating Roles of Overparenting and Parent-child Conflict [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2025, 41(4): 539-549.
[15] HU Yiqiu, HE Zhen, ZENG Zihao, LIU Shuangjin, YANG Qin, FANG Xiaoyi. The Effect of Parent-child Relationship on Adolescent Aggression Behavior: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness and the Moderation Role of NR3C1 Gene rs41423247 Polymorphism [J]. Psychological Development and Education, 2025, 41(4): 561-570.
Viewed
Full text


Abstract

Cited
  Shared   
  Discussed   
No Suggested Reading articles found!
Copyright 2018 © Editorial office of Psychological Development and Education
Supported by Beijing Magtech Co.Ltd