14.08.2026journal-article
British Journal of Clinical Psychology
Exploring the relationship between external shame and perceived social rank in people who hear voices
Abstract Objectives People who hear voices commonly experience high levels of shame. This study builds on evolutionary theories by investigating how feelings of shame are associated with the nature of the voice–person relationship. Researchers aim to understand whether increased feelings of external shame are associated with voice‐hearers adopting a subordinating relationship to the voice(s), assigning the voice a higher social rank. The research also explored whether voice content, operationalized as the ways in w …