Cited by 148Emotions and Moral BehaviorEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorDeath Anxiety and Social Exclusion

Saving Face for Darwin: The Functions and Uses of Embarrassment

Keltner, Dacher, Anderson, Cameron·2000·Current Directions in Psychological Science

Abstract

In this article, we review diverse studies of the antecedents, facial display, and social consequences of embarrassment. These studies indicate that embarrassment serves an appeasement function, reconciling social relations when they have gone awry. We then speculate about how embarrassment is elaborated into more complex social interactions, such as teasing and flirtation. We conclude by raising questions about the blush and embarrassment that await empirical consideration.

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Crossref · 10.1111/1467-8721.00091

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  • Humans share expressions of embarrassment with other mammals: face touching paired with downward head movements and eye gaze.

    “Likewise, humans share expressions of embarrassment with other mammals: face touching paired with downward head movements and eye gaze (Keltner, 1995;Keltner and Anderson, 2000;Keltner and Buswell, 1997).”

    From Physiological feelings (2019) · cites this paper as Keltner and Anderson, 2000

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Authors
Keltner, D., & Anderson, C.
Affiliations
University of California, Berkeley (US)
Corresponding author
Keltner, Dacher
Venue
Current Directions in Psychological Science
Published
2000-12
Volume
9
Issue
6
Pages
187-192
ISSN
  • 0963-7214 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-8721
OpenAlex
W2109682219
Cited by
148
References
10
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 7
FWCI
4.05
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Current Directions in Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
Keywords
embarrassment, facial expressions, appeasement, social reconciliation, facial displays, teasing, flirting, Darwinian theory of emotion, evolutionary psychology of emotion

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