Which regulation describes doing a behavior because you feel guilty, so you do it?

• A. External regulation
• B. Introjected regulation
• C. Identified regulation
• D. Integrated regulation

Answer: (B)

Introjected regulation is when you act to avoid guilt, shame, or to bolster self-worth, driven by internal pressure rather than genuinely endorsing the behavior. If you do something because you feel you should—because doing it prevents negative feelings or protects your self-image—you’re acting under this internalized but still conditional motivation. It’s not fully aligned with your own values or identity, so the behavior isn’t truly self-endorsed, even though the pressure comes from inside. This differs from external regulation, where the push comes from outside rewards or punishments; and from identified or integrated regulation, where the person accepts the behavior as valuable and, in the case of integration, fully part of their identity. In the guilt-driven scenario, the internal guilt motivates the action, characterizing introjected regulation.