What is common may be as important as what is different: Examining the general factor shared by dispositional shame and guilt using bi-factor models.

This article focuses on examining the shared general factor underlying dispositional shame-proneness and guilt-proneness using bi-factor models across three studies with large and diverse samples. The research found that this general factor is strongly and positively associated with moral-related personality traits such as empathy, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, and inversely related to externalizing psychopathology, suggesting it reflects an adaptive, prosocial dimension. In contrast, the variance specific to shame-proneness is linked to maladaptive traits including self-criticism, vulnerable narcissism, neuroticism, and both internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, while the guilt-specific factor showed low reliability and limited unique associations. These findings highlight the importance of distinguishing the shared and unique components of shame and guilt proneness to better understand their roles in moral functioning and psychological adjustment, with implications for research methodology and clinical practice.