Embarrassment: quick facts
Embarrassment is a self-conscious social emotion felt when a person believes they have violated a social expectation in front of others. It typically follows a public mistake or unwanted attention and is accompanied by…
Category
Complex & secondary emotions
Valence
Negative
Emotion family / blend
Self-conscious
Typical triggers
Public mistakes, unwanted attention, social missteps, being observed
How it's expressed
Blushing, averted gaze, nervous smile, touching the face, looking down
Sources: American Psychological Association — APA Dictionary: emotion; Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley — Emotions; Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions (Robert Plutchik) — overview. Educational information only — not medical or psychological advice. See our sources & fact-check policy.