The Effect of Shame Experience on Intimacy of University Students: Focusing on Moderating Effect of Perfectionistic Self-Presentation

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between shame experience and intimacy and to determine the moderating effect of Perfectionistic Self-Presentation subtype in the process. Methods To this end, data were collected from 206 university students in the Seoul metropolitan area using the Shame Experience Scale, Intimacy Scale, and Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale, and the data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 and PROCESS macro for statistical analysis. Results First, the relationships between shame experience, intimacy, and Perfectionistic Self-Presentation subtypes were statistically significant. Second, the relationship between shame experience and intimacy was moderated by perfectionistic self-presentation subtype. Specifically, Perfectionistic Self-Presentation showed a significant moderating effect of shame and intimacy. On the other hand, the moderating effect of shame and intimacy was not significant in Perfectionist Self-Presentation, Nondisplay of Imperfection, and Nondisclosure of Imperfection. Conclusions These findings expand our understanding of shame experience by identifying the moderating effect of Perfectionistic self-presentation subtype on the relationship between shame experience and intimacy, and suggest that shame experience and Perfectionistic Self-Presentation subtype should be addressed as key psychological variables in practical interventions for clients who have difficulty establishing intimacy with the opposite sex.