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How Relational Bonds Influence Strategies for Coping with Guilt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 October 2013

Alessio Nencini  and
Anna Maria Meneghini
Alessio Nencini
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology (University of Verona), Verona, Italy
Anna Maria Meneghini*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology (University of Verona), Verona, Italy
*
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Anna Maria Meneghini, Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology (University of Verona), Lungadige Porta Vittoria, 17, 37129Verona (Italy). Email: anna.meneghini@univr.it
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Abstract

Many studies have shown that guilt is an important moral emotion that motivates reparative actions in order to maintain positive interpersonal relationships. However, when the victim of an offence does not have a close relationship with the transgressor or when the intensity of the whole experience is irrelevant or excessive, people can adopt different strategies to cope with their feelings of guilt. The paper aims to investigate the relation between interpersonal relationships, responsibility taking elicited by moral transgressions and coping strategies. Results show that experiences of guilt vary on the basis of the degree of closeness with the harmed person. The closeness of the relational bond between transgressor and victim also affects the global intensity of the experience of guilt (made of a set of correlated emotions), thus favoring the choice of self or other-oriented strategies to cope with guilt. Global low intensities of guilt tend to favor self-oriented strategies, while wrongdoings that elicit high emotional intensities are often considered too serious and thus irreparable. Medium intensities of guilt experiences are more frequently managed through adaptive, other-oriented strategies.

Keywords

guiltmoral emotionsinterpersonal relationshipscoping strategies
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Relationships Research , Volume 4 , 25 October 2013 , e9
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Australian Academic Press Pty Ltd 2013 

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