Uncovering the Affective Core of Conscientiousness: The Role of Self‐Conscious Emotions

Abstract We conducted 3 studies to test the idea that guilt is a key affective component of C onscientiousness and that it can account for the relation between C onscientiousness and negative affect. Study 1 used meta‐analysis to show that C onscientiousness was associated with specific emotions and overall negative affect but was most strongly associated with guilt. Conscientiousness was negatively related to guilt experience but positively related to guilt proneness. Also, guilt experience mediated the relation between C onscientiousness and negative affect. Study 2 ( N = 142) examined the relation between facets of Conscientiousness and guilt. We replicated results from S tudy 1 and showed that the relation between C onscientiousness and guilt was not due to overlap with E xtraversion and N euroticism. Study 3 ( n = 176) examined the interplay between C onscientiousness and guilt on grades in a short‐term longitudinal study. These studies showed that C onscientiousness is primarily related to guilt and highlighted the importance of examining the emotional substrate of C onscientiousness.