Handbook of Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection
Edited by Mark D. Alicke and Constantine Sedikides
Request a free digital professor copy on VitalSource ?“An edited, scholarly book focusing on strategies people use to improve or maintain their self-image....Instructors teaching different psychology courses can find interesting topics for class discussions....The editors and authors do an excellent job providing readers with evidence for self-enhancement and self-protection processes. In addition to learning about the most recent findings on this topic, readers of this handbook will glean information necessary to pose new research questions to investigate.”
—Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology
“A remarkably comprehensive review and analysis of a vibrant area. The volume is stunning in its breadth and depth, integrating the rich tradition of theory and research on self-enhancement and self-protection with cutting-edge developments in social neuroscience, social cognition, and interpersonal relations. Equally impressive, the Handbook bridges basic research and real-world applications, addressing clinical, health, and social policy implications. Written in an engaging and accessible style, this is an invaluable resource for students and specialists alike.”
—June Price Tangney, PhD, University Professor of Psychology, George Mason University
“This unique volume teases apart two psychological motives that are often confused. Contrasting these motives in one well-integrated book makes it abundantly clear that two distinct mechanisms are involved. The editors have solicited an all-star roster of contributors who complement each other interestingly. A broad range of perspectives are represented, from neurological substrates to cultural differences.”
—Del Paulhus, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada
“How do people go about enhancing their favorable views of themselves? How do they protect themselves against losing face and losing self-esteem? This excellent book provides a rich and thought-provoking survey of research on these questions. The drive to make a good name for oneself and protect it from disparagement underlies a wide range of human strivings, from high achievements to the deepest excesses of interpersonal evil. This book has much to offer anyone interested in human nature.”
—Roy F. Baumeister, PhD, Francis Eppes Professor of Psychology, Florida State University
Table of Contents
Introduction. Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection: Historical Overview and Conceptual Framework, Mark D. Alicke and Constantine SedikidesI. Neurocognitive Bases of Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection
1. Neural Bases of Approach and Avoidance, Eddie Harmon-Jones
2. Self-Enhancement: A Social Neuroscience Perspective, Jennifer S. Beer and Brent L. Hughes
II. Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection in Self-Construal
3. Self-Enhancement via Redefinition: Defining Social Concepts to Ensure Positive Views of the Self, Clayton R. Critcher, Erik G. Helzer, and David Dunning
4. Moral Hypocrisy: A Self-Enhancement/Self-Protection Motive in the Moral Domain, C. Daniel Batson and Elizabeth C. Collins
5. The Role of Time in Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection, Anne E. Wilson and Michael Ross
6. Reconciling Self-Protection with Self-Improvement: Self-Affirmation Theory, David K. Sherman and Kimberly A. Hartson
III. Perceptual, Judgmental, and Memory Processes in Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection
7. Of Visions and Desires: Biased Perceptions of the Environment Can Serve Self-Protective Functions, Shana Cole and Emily Balcetis
8. Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection in Social Judgment, Mark D. Alicke and Corey L. Guenther
9. Postdecisional Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection: The Role of the Self in Cognitive Dissonance Processes, Jeff Stone and Elizabeth Focella
10. The Positivity Bias and the Fading Affect Bias in Autobiographical Memory: A Self-Motives Perspective, John J. Skowronski
IV. Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection in Interpersonal, Relational, and Group Contexts
11. The Social Consequences of Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection, Vera Hoorens
12. Seeking Pleasure and Avoiding Pain in Interpersonal Relationships, Joanne V. Wood and Amanda L. Forest
13. An Attachment Perspective on Self-Protection and Self-Enhancement, Phillip R. Shaver and Mario Mikulincer
14. To Enhance or Protect the Self?: The Complex Role of Explicit and Implicit Self-Esteem, Tracy DeHart, Julie Longua, and Jennifer Smith
15. Attributions to Discrimination as a Self-Protective Strategy: Evaluating the Evidence, Brenda Major and Dina Eliezer
V. Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection in Developmental, Clinical, Health, Personality, and Cultural Contexts
16. Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection in a Developmental Context, Kali H. Trzesniewski, Megan Peggy-Anne Kinal, and M. Brent Donnellan
17. The Breakdown of Self-Enhancing and Self-Protecting Cognitive Biases in Depression, Lauren B. Alloy, Clara A. Wagner, Shimrit K. Black, Rachel K. Gerstein, and Lyn Y. Abramson
18. When Self-Enhancement Drives Health Decisions: Insights from a Terror Management Health Model, Jamie Arndt and Jamie L. Goldenberg
19. Narcissistic Self-Enhancement: Tales of (Successful?) Self-Portrayal, Carolyn C. Morf, Stephan Horvath, and Loredana Torchetti
20. Cultural Perspectives on Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection, Chi-yue Chiu, Ching Wan, Shirley Y.Y. Cheng, Young-hoon Kim, and Yung-jui Yang
VI. Boundary Conditions and Methodological Issues in Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection
21. Academic Exaggeration: Pushing Self-Enhancement Boundaries, Richard H. Gramzow
22. Measurement of Self-Enhancement (and Self-Protection), Joachim I. Krueger and Jack C. Wright
About the Editors
Mark D. Alicke, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Ohio University. His main research interests are the psychology of the self—including the role of the self in social judgment, social comparison, and self-enhancement biases—and the psychology of blame and moral judgment. Dr. Alicke has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, as an Associate Editor of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and is currently Editor of Self and Identity.Constantine Sedikides, PhD, is Professor and Director of the Centre for Research on Self and Identity at the University of Southampton, United Kingdom. His research focuses on self and identity and their interplay with emotion and motivation, close relationships, and group processes.
Contributors
Lyn Y. Abramson, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WisconsinMark D. Alicke, PhD, Department of Psychology, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
Lauren B. Alloy, PhD, Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jamie Arndt, PhD, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
Emily Balcetis, PhD, Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York
C. Daniel Batson, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
Jennifer S. Beer, PhD, Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Shimrit K. Black, MA, Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Shirley Y. Y. Cheng, MA, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
Chi-yue Chiu, PhD, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang,
Singapore
Shana Cole, MS, Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York
Elizabeth C. Collins, PhD, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Clayton R. Critcher, PhD, Department of Marketing, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
Tracy DeHart, PhD, Department of Psychology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
M. Brent Donnellan, PhD, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
David Dunning, PhD, Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Dina Eliezer, BA, Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
Elizabeth Focella, BA, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
Amanda L. Forest, BA, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Rachel K. Gerstein, PhD, Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jamie L. Goldenberg, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
Richard H. Gramzow, PhD, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
Corey L. Guenther, PhD, Department of Psychology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska
Eddie Harmon-Jones, PhD, Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Kimberly A. Hartson, MA, Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara,
Santa Barbara, California
Erik G. Helzer, BA, Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Vera Hoorens, PhD, Department of Psychology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Stephan Horvath, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Brent L. Hughes, BA, Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station,
Texas
Young-hoon Kim, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
Megan Peggy-Anne Kinal, BA, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Joachim I. Krueger, PhD, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
Julie Longua, MA, Department of Psychology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Brenda Major, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
Mario Mikulincer, PhD, Interdisciplinary Center, New School of Psychology, Herzlyia, Israel
Carolyn C. Morf, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Michael Ross, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario,
Canada
Constantine Sedikides, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
Phillip R. Shaver, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California
David K. Sherman, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara,
Santa Barbara, California
John J. Skowronski, PhD, Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois
Jennifer Smith, MA, Department of Psychology, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Jeff Stone, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
Loredana Torchetti, MS, Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Kali H. Trzesniewski, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Clara A. Wagner, MA, Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ching Wan, PhD, Division of Psychology, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang, Singapore
Anne E. Wilson, PhD, Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Joanne V. Wood, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Jack C. Wright, PhD, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
Yung-jui Yang, MA, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois