Abstract

As dating violence is recently rising as one of the most serious social issues, the study examined the effect of internalized shame on controlling behavior manifested in dating relationship. We explored the mediation effect of self-absorption, indicating maladaptive self-focused attention, between each of the four sub-factors of internalized shame(inadequacy, emptiness, self punishment, and fear of mistake) and controlling behavior. Based on the data obtained from 200 single people in their 20-30s, it was revealed that the internalized shame, the self-absorption, and the controlling behavior in dating relationships were all positively correlated. The mediation effect of self-absorption was significant between the sub-factors of internalized shame (inadequacy, emptiness, self punishment, and fear of mistake) and controlling behavior. In other words, the higher the inadequacy, emptiness, self punishment, and fear of mistake, the bigger the self-absorption, and the more frequent the controlling behavior in dating relationship.