Vicarious wounds

Vicarious ostracism

Ostracism—being ignored and excluded—causes distress and threatens psychological needs (i.e., belonging, selfesteem, control, and meaningful existence; Williams, 2009). Even subtle behaviors, such as withholding eye contact or staring through someone as if they did not exist, can induce feelings of ostracism (Wirth et al., 2010; Wesselmann et al., 2012). Most individuals experience ostracism at...

Vicarious liability for infringement

When is it proper to hold one person liable for the harm caused by the acts of another person? How should courts decide that? Let’s consider that in the context of manufacturers and disseminators of innovative products such as player-piano rolls, copiers, videocassette recorders (VCRs), TiVo, and Grokster. Each of these technological advances has challenged copyright law. Courts had to decide, ...

Case of Vicarious Menstruation

Vicarious Shame and Guilt

Participants recalled instances when they felt vicariously ashamed or guilty for another’s wrongdoing and rated their appraisals of the event and resulting motivations. The study tested aspects of social association that uniquely predict vicarious shame and guilt. Results suggest that the experience of vicarious shame and vicarious guilt are distinguishable. Vicarious guilt was predicted by one...

Vicarious Liability of Hospitals