I remember someone making a distinction between shame-based cultures (they claimed that Mideastern, Indian, and Asian cultures were shame-based) and guilt-based cultures. The difference, they claimed, was that shame is social: You feel shame only if you're caught. Guilt, however, is something you feel even if you're not caught.

I think this distinction between shame and guilt is useful, even if there aren't really "shame-based cultures". Also, you should feel shame for things you were accused of doing even if you didn't do them, or which you did under extenuating circumstances that others are unaware of.

"Shame-based culture" sounds like it would appear the same as what some people call an "honor culture", eg., 18th-century Scotland, 19th-century West Virginia, most 21st-century Islamic nations, where defending your honor has extremely high importance.