Let's think about fallowing example:

A girl is unwilling to expose her nude body. She although knows she will have to expose it. The idea to have to do it (and the following act) humiliates her.
(I intend to keep it that simple)

we have a conflict:
a) need to expose
b) unwillingness to do so
--> the story is so far open (content) because the reader yet don't know what is going to happen
--> for the reader the point in the story, when the conflict is shown, induces (or should induce) tension
--> the way the story works depends on the attitude of the rader towards the characters (i.e.: does she/he feel with the character, or want the character to be humiliated, or would rather like to see her/him be saved from the conflict)

Inner Logic: it is obvious, that this works only if (a) the reader has enough information to develope an own idea, who the plot could be going on
(b) if the reader has not enough information to be already sure how it will go on.

This seems to be very clear on tne first sight, but it depends on many factors: what is the characters' attitude to the situation inside the story. The reader can only conclude if she/he has at least a slight idea. This depends although on a the setting: where is the character? Alone at home, at a place where she could might be seen, in public, if in public, on a nudist beach, at a closed group of people who expect her to do expose herself, in a shopping mall, on a stage....?
The reader will think: in the specific situation - is it allowed by the society to expose, if not how far: of cause not in a Kindergarden. But where else and why? In a shopping mall. Something naughty? Why? Is there a certain culture in society that doesn't tolerate people walking naked in public?
And again: why?
Because the society and the people in the community learn: you have to be ashamed if you expose your body to others, especially in places where you shouldn't, like a shopping mall, etc.
A character will be ashamed because she learned this. For a three years old child it could be just nothing to run around in the nude in the public.
But the body of a grown up is something very private. At this privateness is being offended.

And so on.....

To come back to the threads topic "humiliation": the need to do something a character is reluctant to do is fine, but it is not enough
The reader needs further information about why. She/He needs to understand the situation for the character.
Of cause there are many situation where this information can run very short. But this only works because of a simple fact. The reader draws conclusions from his own experiences she/he combines with the plot. This experiences may be real life experiences or be given by other stories, movies, etc.

Just imagine a story about animals that behave like anymals. Not a Disney-Movie. Maybe more scientific. No speaker from the of who says "poor baby tiger had been looking for his mother all day running through the savanna."
Very scientic. I think tension gets lost somewhere on the way because you have no chance to develope any idea about what will happen next.