The mediating mechanisms of embarrassment in public and private situations

The process of the subcategories of embarrassment

Abstract

This study had two purposes; first, to examine the causal relationships between the four factors of embarrassment, i. e., 'apprehension of social evaluation', 'inconsistency with self image', 'disruption of social interaction', and 'loss of self-esteem', and second, to clarify the mediating mechanisms underlying the six subcategories of emotions that comprise embarrassment. Two hundred and eighty-eight university students were presented with "Public" or "Private" embarrassing situations, and were asked to rate 12 items related to the four factors of embarrassment, and 17 items measuring the six subcategories of embarrassment. Covariance structure analysis was conducted to examine the relationship of the four factors of embarrassment, and to clarify the mediating mechanisms of the each subcategory of embarrassment. Results suggested that the four factors of embarrassment were causally related. Furthermore, it was found that the "loss of self-esteem" affected each subcategory of embarrassment in intensity, and all four factors directly and/or indirectly affected the six subcategories of embarrassment in a sequential process.