This book thoroughly examines how the self-conscious emotions differ from other emotions, why they might have evolved, and the many ways they help (and hurt) the self. It addresses their underlying social, cognitive, physiological, and neural mechanisms, as well as developmental contexts and processes. Several chapters explore cross-cultural differences and similarities. State-of-the-science research is presented on each of the specific emotions, elucidating and elaborating on the fine-grained distinctions among them.