A new study from the University of Guelph suggests that guilt is a healthy response for impulse shoppers, whereas those who feel shame are more likely to engage in denial and resignation rather than pursue a solution.

Researcher Sunghwan Yi, a marketing professor, surveyed 222 university students about their feelings after buying an unnecessary product on impulse.

Yi found that participants who reported feeling guilty were more likely to develop coping strategies such as revising their budget or making an effort to rein in their spending. Other tactics included writing out shopping lists of necessities or trying to earn extra income to recoup losses.

By comparison, consumers who experienced feelings of shame were more likely to cope through disengagement, denial or displaced aggression. Coping mechanisms included using alcohol or drugs to ease feelings of shame or giving up entirely on attempts to curb impulse shopping.

"The experience of guilt is associated with the acknowledgment that you [did] make a transgression, and temporary and specific attribution. In contrast, the experience of shame is associated with the realization that this transgression reveals a bad side of yourself or a faulty self," Yi said in an e-mail interview.

"Shame is a much more aversive feeling, so people who experience shame are motivated to use avoidant or defensive coping strategies rather than approach strategies."

Yi said the study draws an important distinction between guilt and shame.

"Findings from this study shows that guilt and shame are distinct emotions, and people cope with them differently. If you experience intense shame after impulse buying, you are advised to deliberate on how you usually cope with this feeling and start using more [problem-focused] coping strategies."

The study is being presented Thursday at a meeting of the American Psychological Association in Boston.