Embarrassment

Precuneus

Neuroscience

Prefrontal cortex

Shame

Biology

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Social psychology

Posterior cingulate

Cognition

Anterior cingulate cortex

Biochemistry

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

PsycINFO

Psychology

Central nervous system

Psychotherapist

Ventrolateral prefrontal cortex

Cingulate cortex

Temporal cortex

MEDLINE

Amygdala

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

This systematic review aimed to provide a comprehensive summary of the current literature on the neurobiological underpinnings of the experience of the negative moral emotions: shame, embarrassment and guilt. PsycINFO, PubMed and MEDLINE were used to identify existing studies. Twenty-one functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography studies were reviewed. Although studies differed considerably in methodology, their findings highlight both shared and distinct patterns of brain structure/function associated with these emotions. Shame was more likely to be associated with activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex and sensorimotor cortex; embarrassment was more likely to be associated with activity in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and amygdala; guilt was more likely to be associated with activity in ventral anterior cingulate cortex, posterior temporal regions and the precuneus. Although results point to some common and some distinct neural underpinnings of these emotions, further research is required to replicate findings.

Feelings of shame, embarrassment and guilt and their neural correlates: A systematic review