ABSTRACT
Of the three components of conscience (cognitive, affective, and conative), or their behavioural manifestation, our research emphasizes the affective facet. The affective aspect of conscience is important in many respects. As with many emotions, the experience of conscience-related feelings, such as guilt, affects which particular behaviours receive “control” precedence (Frijda, 1986), influencing how actors subsequently behave. Actors’ emotional experiences and expressions contribute in myriad ways to how the situation further unfolds. They influence the thoughts and reactions of other involved parties, their expectations of probable actor behaviours, and estimates of actors’ willingness or ability to reform. The presence or absence of emotions, including but not limited to guilt, can further disclose important information about the actors’ commitments not only to particular norms and standards, but also to relationships, additionally affecting inferences drawn about our own or another’s character, including a person’s conscientiousness (e.g., Baumeister, Stillwell, & Heatherton, 1994; Ferguson, Brugman, Eyre, & White, 2007; Greenspan, 1995; Heise & O’Brien, 1987; Heise & MacKinnon, 1993; Keltner & Harker, 1998; Lazowski, 1987; Parkinson, 1995; Zeman & Shipman, 1996).
