Shame broadcasts social norms : The positive social effects of shame on norm acquisition and normative behavior

How does shame affect social cohesion? Prior work draws divergent conclusions to this question because shame can spur maladaptive behaviors for those who experience it. However, past work has overlooked the interindividual effects of shame –how one’s expression of shame affects those who witness it. We investigate these social learning effects of shame and identify norm transmission as a reliable route by which shame facilitates social cohesion. We manipulate across five studies and two supplemental studies with U.S.-based adult participants (N = 3,726) whether someone conveys shame, no specific emotion, or other discrete emotions to their behavior. We then assess the effect on participants’ norm inferences and norm conforming behavior. We find that shame broadcasts particularly strong signals about social norms, and people adjust their behavior to align with these norms. We discuss how these findings challenge common conclusions about shame and generate insights about shame’s influence on social life