Abstract
The present study aimed to develop empirical definitions for the self-conscious emotions “zaiakukan,” “haji,” “shitto,” and “netami” in Japanese, and compare them with the definitions of the English equivalents of these terms, that is, “guilt,” “shame,” “embarrassment,” and “jealousy,” respectively. In the present study, 60 participants completed 556 statements that described emotional experiences. Based on their responses, the empirical definitions of each emotion were determined. The results indicated the following. (a) The experiences of “haji” were more physical than were those of the other emotions. Further, these experiences were considered more similar to “embarrassment” than “shame.” (b) The experiences of “zaiakukan” were considered more serious than “haji” and overlapped more with its English equivalent, “guilt.” (c) The experiences of “shitto” were more similar those of “netami” and “jealousy” than were other emotions, distinct because they shared feelings of resistance towards emotions and ruminative thoughts. These findings suggest that the terms used to indicate these self-conscious emotions need to be carefully translated because of the differences between these languages.
