Test of Self-Conscious Affect – TOSCA

Abstract

The Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA) is a widely utilized psychological instrument designed to assess individual differences in the propensity to experience self-conscious emotions, primarily shame and guilt, as well as related affective and cognitive responses such as pride, externalization of blame, and detachment. Developed by June P. Tangney and colleagues, the scale uses a scenario-based format where respondents rate the likelihood of feeling specific emotions or performing certain actions following hypothetical transgressions or successes. The primary goal of the TOSCA is to provide a reliable measure that differentiates between the maladaptive, self-focused nature of shame proneness and the more adaptive, behavior-focused nature of guilt proneness.

Keywords

Shame, Guilt, Self-Conscious Affect, Affective Proneness, Attribution, Personality, Psychological Assessment, Pride, Externalization, Ruminative Guilt.

Authors

June P. Tangney, Ronda L. Dearing, Patricia E. Wagner, Richard Gramzow

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Purpose

The core purpose of the Test of Self-Conscious Affect is the precise measurement of stable individual differences in the tendency to experience self-conscious emotions across various situations. Unlike scales that measure current emotional states, the TOSCA assesses “proneness”—the enduring likelihood that an individual will react to negative events with specific self-conscious affects (shame, guilt) or cognitive styles (externalization, detachment).

The instrument is essential for researchers studying the psychological impact of internal regulatory systems, particularly concerning mental health outcomes, relationship dynamics, and antisocial behaviors. By presenting ambiguous scenarios, the TOSCA captures characteristic emotional and behavioral responses that reflect underlying personality traits related to responsibility and self-evaluation.

Construct

The TOSCA operationalizes the theoretical distinction between shame and guilt. Shame is typically characterized by a focus on the global self (“I am bad”), leading to feelings of inadequacy, a desire to hide, and avoidance behaviors. Guilt, conversely, is characterized by a focus on specific behavior (“I did a bad thing”), leading to feelings of remorse, tension, and a strong motivation toward repair or confession.

The scale measures several distinct constructs, often grouped under the umbrella of self-conscious affect and attribution style:

• Guilt (G): Adaptive, behavior-focused remorse aimed at reparation.
• Shame (S): Maladaptive, self-focused distress leading to negative self-evaluation.
• Ruminative Guilt (RG): A dysfunctional preoccupation with past errors, often associated with negative psychological outcomes.
• Externalization (E): Attributing negative outcomes to external factors or other people, serving as a defensive mechanism against self-blame.
• Detachment/Unconcern (D): Emotional disengagement from the negative scenario.
• Pride (AP & BP): Measured in later versions (TOSCA-2), distinguishing between Alpha Pride (feeling good about the self, e.g., “I am a competent person”) and Beta Pride (feeling good about specific behavior, e.g., “I did a good job”).

Validity

Extensive research has supported the validity of the TOSCA, demonstrating its capacity to discriminate effectively between shame proneness and guilt proneness. Studies, including those by Tangney (1990) and Woien et al. (2003), have established discriminant validity by showing that shame scores correlate positively with measures of depression, anxiety, and externalizing behaviors, while guilt scores show correlations with empathy, prosocial behavior, and constructive coping mechanisms.

The scenario-based methodology enhances the ecological validity of the instrument, as it asks respondents to react to common, relatable situations, providing a more ecologically valid measure of affective tendencies compared to simple trait adjective checklists.

Reliability

The reliability of the TOSCA subscales is generally reported as acceptable to good, particularly for the core constructs of shame and guilt proneness. Internal consistency, typically assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, consistently meets psychometric standards, although scores for the shorter versions (like TOSCA-3 short) may exhibit slightly lower reliability coefficients due to fewer items per factor. The scenario format helps ensure stability of measurement across different contexts, reflecting the stable personality characteristic the scale aims to capture.

Factor Analysis

Factor analytical studies of the TOSCA confirm the multidimensional structure underlying self-conscious affect. Analyses consistently support the extraction of distinct factors corresponding to shame and guilt proneness, which are often weakly correlated or uncorrelated, reinforcing the theoretical necessity of separating these two constructs. Later versions, such as TOSCA-2 and TOSCA-3, further refine the factor structure by including, and confirming the distinction of, factors for Externalization, Detachment, and the two forms of Pride (Alpha and Beta).

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire (Scenario-based measure of affective proneness)

Format: Multiple-choice responses to hypothetical scenarios, scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1=Not likely to 5=Very likely).

Language Available: Primarily English; translated versions exist (e.g., Persian, as noted in the references).

Population Group: General population, often used in clinical, academic, and research settings.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically young adulthood onward).

Population Details: Used across diverse groups, including students, non-traditional students, and clinical populations (e.g., those with alcohol misuse).

Test Methodology: Respondents read brief scenarios detailing negative (and sometimes positive) events. They then select and rate the likelihood of experiencing several potential cognitive, affective, or behavioral responses, which are coded for Shame, Guilt, Externalization, Detachment, or Pride.

Keywords

Self-Conscious Emotions, Pride, Ruminative Guilt, Attribution Theory, Psychological Assessment, Personality Traits, Shame Proneness, Guilt Proneness.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence is typically directed to Dr. June P. Tangney, George Mason University.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The original Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA) was introduced in 1989. Key revisions include the TOSCA-3 (2000) and TOSCA-2 (2002). The scale is copyrighted by the authors, and permission for research or clinical use must generally be obtained directly from the primary author, June P. Tangney, or George Mason University, depending on the version used. Specific fees are not detailed in the source material but are subject to the author’s policies.

Reference’s

• Tangney‚ J.P.‚ Wagner‚ P.‚ & Gramzow‚ R. (1989). The Test of Self-Conscious Affect. Fairfax‚ VA: George Mason University.
• Tangney‚ J.P. (1990). Assessing individual differences in proneness to shame and guilt: Development of the Self-Conscious Affect and Attribution Inventory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology‚ 59(1)‚ 102-111.
• Tangney‚ J.P. (1992). Situational determinants of shame and guilt in young adulthood. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin‚ 18‚ 199-206.
• Tangney‚ J. P.‚ Dearing‚ R. L.‚ Wagner‚ P. E.‚ & Gramzow‚ R. (2000). The Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA-3). Fairfax‚ VA: George Mason University.
• Tangney‚ J.P. & Dearing‚ R.L. (2002). Shame and guilt. New York: Guilford.
• Woien‚ S.L.‚ Ernst‚ H.A.H.‚ Patock-Peckham‚ J.A.‚ & Nagoshi‚ C.T. (2003). Validation of the TOSCA to measure shame and guilt. Personality and Individual Differences 35(2)‚ 313-326.
• Tangney‚ J. P.‚ Boone‚ A. L.‚ & Dearing‚ R. (2005). Forgiving the self: Conceptual issues and empirical findings. In E. L. Worthington‚ Jr. (Ed.)‚ Handbook of forgiveness (pp. 143-158). NY: Routledge.
• Scherer. Michael‚ “Forgiveness and the Bottle: Promoting Self-forgiveness with Alcohol Misuse” (2010). Virginia Commonwealth University‚ Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2109. The TOSCA-2 instrument can be found on pages 114-118 of this document. Available online at: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3108&context=etd
• Alton‚ Kristian Leigh‚ (2012). “Exploring the Guilt-Proneness of Non-Traditional Students”. Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Theses. Paper 885. The TOSCA-3 short version instrument can be found on pages 127-131 of this document. Available online at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1893&context=theses
• Atrifard M. Relationship between brain/behavior and being prone to shame and guilt [Dissertation]. Tehran: Tarbiyat Modarres University; 2004.

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Items of the Test of Self-Conscious Affect -TOSCA

Test of Self-Conscious Affect-3 short version (TOSCA-3 short version)

Tangney‚ Dearing‚ Wagner‚ and Gramzow.‚ 2000

1. You make plans to meet a friend for lunch. At 5 o’clock‚ you realize you stood him up.

• a) You would think: “I’m inconsiderate.”
• b) You would think: “Well‚ they’ll understand.”
• c) You’d think you should make it up to him as soon as possible.
• d) You would think: “My boss distracted me just before lunch.”

2. You break something at work and then hide it.

• a) You would think: “This is making me anxious. I need to either fix it or get someone else to.”
• b) You would think about quitting.
• c) You would think: “A lot of things aren’t made very well these days.”
• d) You would think: “It was only an accident.”

3. At work‚ you wait until the last minute to plan a project‚ and it turns out badly.

• a) You would feel incompetent.
• b) You would think: “There are never enough hours in the day.”
• c) You would feel: “I deserve to be reprimanded for mismanaging the project.”
• d) You would think: “What’s done is done.”

4. You make a mistake at work and find out a co-worker is blamed for the error.

• a) You would think the company did not like the co-worker.
• b) You would think: “Life is not fair.”
• c) You would keep quiet and avoid the co-worker.
• d) You would feel unhappy and eager to correct the situation.

5. While playing around‚ you throw a ball and it hits your friend in the face.

• a) You would feel inadequate that you can’t even throw a ball.
• b) You would think maybe your friend needs more practice at catching.
• c) You would think: “It was just an accident.”
• d) You would apologize and make sure your friend feels better.

6. You are driving down the road‚ and you hit a small animal.

• a) You would think the animal shouldn’t have been on the road.
• b) You would think: “I’m terrible.”
• c) You would feel: “Well‚ it was an accident.”
• d) You’d feel bad you hadn’t been more alert driving down the road.

7. You walk out of an exam thinking you did extremely well. Then you find out you did poorly.

• a) You would think: “Well‚ it’s just a test.”
• b) You would think: “The instructor doesn’t like me.”
• c) You would think: “I should have studied harder.”
• d) You would feel stupid.

8. While out with a group of friends‚ you make fun of a friend who’s not there.

• a) You would think: “It was all in fun; it’s harmless.”
• b) You would feel small…like a rat.
• c) You would think that perhaps that friend should have been there to defend himself/herself.
• d) You would apologize and talk about that person’s good points.

9. You make a big mistake on an important project at work. People were depending on you‚ and your boss criticizes you.

• a) You would think your boss should have been more clear about what was expected of you.
• b) You would feel like you wanted to hide.
• c) You would think: “I should have recognized the problem and done a better job.”
• d) You would think: “Well‚ nobody’s perfect.”

10. You are taking care of your friend’s dog while they are on vacation and the dog runs away.

• a) You would think‚ “I am irresponsible and incompetent.”
• b) You would think your friend must not take very good care of their dog or it wouldn’t have run away.
• c) You would vow to be more careful next time.
• d) You would think your friend could just get a new dog.

11. You attend your co-worker’s housewarming party and you spill red wine on their new cream colored carpet‚ but you think no one notices.

• a) You think your co-worker should have expected some accidents at such a big party.
• b) You would stay late to help clean up the stain after the party.
• c) You would wish you were anywhere but at the party.
• d) You would wonder why your co-worker chose to serve red wine with the new light carpet.

1= Not likely …………………………….…………. Very likely=5

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Test of Self-Conscious Affect TOSCA-2

Tangney & Dearing‚ 2002

Q1. You make plans to meet a friend for lunch. At 5 o’clock‚ you realize you stood him up.

• a) You cannot apologize enough for forgetting the appointment RG
• b) You would think: “I’m inconsiderate.” S
• c) You would think: Well‚ they’ll understand.” D
• d) You think you should make it up to him as soon as possible. G
• e) You would think: “My boss distracted me just before lunch.” E

Q2. You break something at work and then hide it.

• a) You would think: “This is making me anxious I need to either fix it or get someone else to.” G
• b) You would think about quitting. (S) S
• c) For days you’d worry about it‚ repeatedly trying to think of a way to remedy the situation. RG
• d) You would think: “A lot of things aren’t made very well these days.” E
• e) You would think: “It was only an accident.” D

Q3. You are out with friends one evening and you’re feeling especially witty and attractive. Your best friend’s spouse seems to particularly enjoy your company.

• a) You would think: “I should have been aware of what my best friend is feeling.” G
• b) You would feel happy with your appearance and personality. AP
• c) You would feel pleased to have made such a good impression. BP
• d) You can’t stop thinking about the problems you may have caused your friend and their spouse. RG
• e) You would probably avoid eye-contact for a long time. S

Q4. At work‚ you wait until the last minute to plan a project‚ and it turns out badly.

• a) You’d bend over backwards for months to make up for it but fear that it won’t make any difference. RG
• b) You would feel incompetent. S
• c) You would think: “There are never enough hours in the day.” E
• d) You would feel: “I deserve to be reprimanded for mismanaging the project.” G
• e) You would think: What’s done is done.” D

Q5. You make a mistake at work and find out a co-worker is blamed for the error.

• a) You would think the company did not like the co-worker. E
• b) You would think: “Life is not fair.” D
• c) You would keep quiet and avoid the co-worker. S
• d) You would feel troubled and preoccupied with what happened but unable to correct the situation. RG
• e) You would feel unhappy and eager to correct the situation. G

Q6. For several days you put off making a difficult phone call. At the last minute you make the call and are able to manipulate the conversation so that all goes well.

• a) You would think: “I guess I’m more persuasive than I thought.” AP
• b) You would regret that you put it off. G
• c) You would feel like a coward. S
• d) You would think: “I did a good job”. BP
• e) You would feel badly about getting off so easily and always feel “funny” whenever you thought about the call. RG
• f) You would think you shouldn’t have to make calls you feel pressured into. E

Q7. While playing around‚ you throw a ball and it hits your friend in the face.

• a) You would feel inadequate that you can’t even throw a ball. S
• b) You would think maybe your friend needs more practice at catching. E
• c) You’d replay the incident over and over‚ wondering what you could have done to avoid it. RG
• d) You would think: “It was just an accident.” D
• e) You would apologize and make sure your friend feels better. G

Q8. You have recently moved away from your family‚ and everyone has been very helpful. A few times you have needed to borrow money‚ but you paid it back as soon as you could.

• a) You would feel immature. S
• b) You would think: “I sure ran into some bad luck.” D
• c) You would return the favor as quickly as you could. G
• d) You would think: “I am a trustworthy person.” AP
• e) You would be proud that you repaid your debts. BP
• f) You’d still never be able to forgive yourself for putting your family out. RG

Q9. You are driving down the road‚ and hit a small animal.

• a) You would think the animal shouldn’t have been on the road. E
• b) You would think: “I’m terrible.” S
• c) You would feel: Well‚ it was an accident.” D
• d) You’d have trouble getting the image of the animal out of your mind. RG
• e) You’d feel bad you hadn’t been more alert driving down the road. G

Q10. You walk out of an exam thinking you did extremely well. Then you find out you did poorly.

• a) You would think: Well‚ it’s just a test.” D
• b) You would think: “The instructor doesn’t like me.” E
• c) You would think: “I should have studied harder.” G
• d) You would feel stupid. S
• e) You’d keep thinking back to all of the things you did wrong in preparing for the exam. RG

Q11. You and a group of co-workers worked very hard on a project. Your boss singles you out for a bonus because the project was such a success.

• a) You would feel the boss is rather short-sighted. E
• b) You would feel alone and apart from your colleagues. S
• c) You would feel your hard work had paid off. BP
• d) You would feel competent and proud of yourself. AP
• e) You would feel you should not accept it. G
• f) You’d feel compelled to find new ways each day to make it up to your co-workers. RG

Q12. While out with a group of friends‚ you make fun of a friend who’s not there.

• a) You would think: “It was all in fun; it’s harmless.” D
• b) You would feel small … like a “rat.” S
• c) You would think that perhaps that friend should have been there to defend himself/herself. E
• d) You would berate yourself over and over for it and vow never to do it again. RG
• e) You would apologize and talk about that person’s good points. G

Q13. You make a big mistake on an important project at work. People were depending on you‚ and your boss criticizes you.

• a) You would think your boss should have been clearer about what was expected of you. E
• b) You would walk around for days kicking yourself‚ thinking of all the mistakes you made. RG
• c) You would feel like you wanted to hide. S
• d) You would think: “I should have recognized the problem and done a better job.” G
• e) You would think: Well‚ nobody’s perfect.” D

Q14. You volunteer to help with the local Special Olympics for handicapped children. It turns out to be frustrating and time-consuming work. You think seriously about quitting‚ but then you see how happy the kids are.

• a) You would feel selfish and you’d think you are basically lazy. S
• b) Every time you hear about the kids‚ you get a gnawing feeling inside‚ knowing how you almost let them down. RG
• c) You would feel you were forced into doing something you did not want to do. E
• d) You would think: “I should be more concerned about people who are less fortunate.” G
• e) You would feel great that you had helped others. BP

Q15. You are taking care of your friend’s dog while they are on vacation and the dog runs away.

• a) You would think: “I am irresponsible and incompetent.” S
• b) You would think that your friend must not take very good care of their dog or it wouldn’t have run away. E
• c) You would feel badly every time you saw a dog. RG
• d) You would vow to be more careful next time. G
• e) You would think your friend could just get a new dog. D

Q16. You attend your co-worker’s housewarming party‚ and you spill red wine on their new cream-colored carpet‚ but you think no one notices.

• a) You think your co-worker should have expected some accidents at such a big party. E
• b) You would stay late to help clean up the stain after the party. G
• c) Every time you see your co-worker you get a nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach‚ thinking of that stain on the carpet. RG
• d) You would wish you were anywhere but at the party. S
• e) You would wonder why your co-worker chose to serve red wine with the new light carpet. D

Note: AP = Alpha Pride. BP = Beta Pride. E = Externalization. D = Detachment. G = Guilt. S = Shame. RG = Ruminative Guilt.

1= Not likely …………………………….…………. Very likely=5