Latent Profile Analysis of Shame: Examining Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Differences and the Role of Sexual Adaptation

Objectives Shame plays a significant role in a person’s identity and socialization, including their mental health, interpersonal relationships, and self-perception. However, no research investigates heterogeneous patterns of shame among Chinese college students. The current research aimed to explore the latent profiles of shame and estimate the differences in gender identity and sexual orientation across profiles, as well as the role of sexual self and social adaptation.Methods A total of 3,284 students from the universities in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, were invited to complete the Experience Scale of Shame and Sexual Adaptation Scale and provide demographic information. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted in Mplus 8. Model selection was based on statistical fit indices, profile size, and theoretical interpretability. A three-step approach was then used to examine differences in sex and sexual orientation across profiles, and BCH comparisons were conducted to test profile differences in sexual self-adaptation and sexual social adaptation.Results Through latent profile analysis, six profiles of shame were identified: low generalized shame (9.41%), low social-evaluative shame (20.98%), moderate generalized shame (22.59%), moderate social-evaluative shame (19.74%), high social-evaluative shame (12.53%), and high generalized shame (14.76%). Age, gender identity and sexual orientation were significantly associated with differences in membership between some pairs of profiles. Sexual self-adaptation and sexual social adaptation differed significantly across the six profiles. The low social-evaluative shame profile showed the highest levels of both forms of adaptation, and the social-evaluative profiles showed higher sexual social adaptation than their corresponding generalized-shame profiles at low, moderate, and high levels of shame.Conclusion The identified profiles of shame provide a more comprehensive understanding of shame among college students and offer an important reference for proposing and developing relevant interventions. Meanwhile, this study also emphasizes the importance of improving sex education and paying attention to sexual minorities.