Does being embarrassed mean you are prosocial? Matthew Feinberg and colleagues argue that "observers recognize the expression of embarrassment as a signal of prosociality and commitment to social relationships."
After a series of five (5) studies, these researchers suggest (1) that people who were embarrassed behaved more generously than their less embarrassable counterparts; (2) that observers rated embarrassed targets as being more prosocial and less antisocial relative to targets who displayed either a different emotion or no emotion; and (3) that observers were more willing to give resources and express a desire to affiliate with people who were embarrassed.
I wonder how these findings translate into more benefits for the person embarrassed than costs to that person? For example, is a person who shows embarrassment more likely to become a victim of some joke or a crime? Experience tells me that embarrassment indicates a weakness, a vulnerability to at least some aggressive behavior pattern against that person. Yes?
After a series of five (5) studies, these researchers suggest (1) that people who were embarrassed behaved more generously than their less embarrassable counterparts; (2) that observers rated embarrassed targets as being more prosocial and less antisocial relative to targets who displayed either a different emotion or no emotion; and (3) that observers were more willing to give resources and express a desire to affiliate with people who were embarrassed.
I wonder how these findings translate into more benefits for the person embarrassed than costs to that person? For example, is a person who shows embarrassment more likely to become a victim of some joke or a crime? Experience tells me that embarrassment indicates a weakness, a vulnerability to at least some aggressive behavior pattern against that person. Yes?