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Hindrance or motivation? How shame affects creativity
Tongtong Ye and Haodong Su (Anhui Science and Technology University), Zhaojun Chen (Yantai Nanshan University, and Shandong Women's University), Chunyan Hu (Anhui Science and Technology University), 2025, 53(6), e14397

The impact of the negative emotion of shame on creativity and its underlying psychological mechanisms are still unclear to researchers. In this study we explored the effects of shame on creativity within the Chinese cultural context, basing our research on the theory of cognitive adaptation and the process model of emotion regulation. We constructed a serial mediation model to examine the relationships among shame, self-forgiveness, meaning in life, and creativity. Analysis of surveys completed by 419 Chinese college students showed that shame was positively correlated with creativity, self-forgiveness mediated the effect of shame on creativity, and shame influenced creativity through the serial mediators of self-forgiveness and meaning in life. These findings offer valuable insights into the impact of shame on creativity within the context of Chinese culture, and enhance understanding of the underlying psychological mechanisms, particularly the serial mediating roles of self-forgiveness and meaning in life.