The activation of shame following dissociation in the context of relationships: A vignette study

Results did not suggest that shame is a generic reaction to experiences of dissociation or to specific relationship contexts. Rather, shame was uniquely evoked when dissociation occurred with a close friend. These findings suggest there is a contextualized bi-directional relationship between dissociation and shame, whereby shame appears to activate dissociation, and dissociation in the context of a close other seems to evoke shame. Knowledge about the activation of shame in response to dissociation may assist therapists in educating their clients about this connection.