File:Glasgow_Botanic_Gardens._Kibble_Palace._Edwin_Roscoe_Mullins_-_'Cain'_(c._1899).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
guilt
Sign in to saveAlso known as feeling of guilt, sense of guilt, guilty feeling, feeling guilty, guilt emotion, guilty conscience
emotional experience arising when one believes they have violated personal or universal moral standards and feels responsible for the transgression
Guilt is an emotion you feel when you believe you've done something wrong and violated your own moral values or society's standards. It matters because it can motivate you to make amends for harm you've caused and helps regulate your behavior according to what you believe is right.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Research
15,929 papers- Guilt in alcohol use: A systematic review.Addictive behaviors · 2023Milan L, Hamonniere T, Varescon IDOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107531
- Shame, guilt, and posttraumatic stress symptoms: A three-level meta-analysis.ReviewJournal of anxiety disorders · 2021Shi C, Ren Z, Zhao C et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102443
- Guilt, shame, and postpartum infant feeding outcomes: A systematic review.Maternal & child nutrition · 2021Jackson L, De Pascalis L, Harrold J et al.DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13141
- Guilt: an interpersonal approach.ReviewPsychological bulletin · 1994Baumeister RF, Stillwell AM, Heatherton TFDOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.115.2.243
- Shame and guilt in the postnatal period: a systematic review.Journal of reproductive and infant psychology · 2021Caldwell J, Meredith P, Whittingham K et al.DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2020.1754372
- Guilt Without Fault.Psychoanalytic review · 2025Helmreich JDOI: 10.1521/prev.2025.112.4.425
- Health-related guilt in chronic primary pain: A systematic review of evidence.British journal of health psychology · 2022Serbic D, Evangeli M, Probyn K et al.DOI: 10.1111/bjhp.12529
- Maternal guilt and shame in the postpartum infant feeding context: A concept analysis.ReviewMidwifery · 2022Jackson L, Fallon V, Harrold J et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2021.103205
via PubMed
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Masaccio - The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden (detail) - WGA14180.jpg
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Guilt (emotion)
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~19 min read
Article
Glasgow Botanic Gardens. Kibble Palace. Edwin Roscoe Mullins – Cain or My Punishment is Greater than I can Bear (Genesis 4:13), about 1899.
Guilt is a moral emotion that occurs when a person believes or realizes—accurately or not—that they have compromised their own standards of conduct or have violated universal moral standards and bear significant responsibility for that violation. Feeling guilty is unpleasant for people while they experience it, but it can prompt positive, pro-social efforts to restore relationships and make amends.