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“An outstanding collection of chapters examining the good and bad behavior that people exhibit toward one another—both human virtue and abject cruelty are represented well in this second edition….Researchers and teachers can use this book to enliven their empirical work or classroom discussions. Graduate students will find inspiration and direction. This book will be an excellent resource for organizing undergraduate or graduate seminars on good and evil. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals.”

—Choice Reviews


“Miller has corralled a refreshing mix of social psychological voices to examine the nature of kindness and cruelty. A classical social psychological emphasis on situational influences forms a common thread that blends standard approaches, theories, and findings with less expected, but welcome, contributions….Graduate students and advanced undergraduates will find helpful literature reviews and discussions of conceptual approaches. Instructors will find several essays that are especially accessible to students. Those teaching interdisciplinary courses on the topic of good and/or evil will find a broad representation of social psychological perspectives. For seasoned scholars conducting research on good and evil, this book offers some new empirical evidence, but perhaps more valuable still are the unexpected insights generated by relating classic topics to the theme of good and evil. ”

—Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology (on the first edition)


“A fine book, rich in scholarship and argument, rarely tendentious and often stimulating, clear and perceptive. It is to be recommended to scholars and the interested reader alike.”

—Metapsychology Online Reviews (on the first edition)


“Anyone who is interested in the social psychological literature on these topics could not find a better compilation.”

—Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (on the first edition)


“Includes chapters from renowned researchers and will be widely read by followers of experimental social psychology....A useful resource.”

—British Journal of Sociology (on the first edition)


“In this timely book, preeminent social psychologists illuminate humanity's devilish and angelic actions, and suggest how we might transform today’s closed fists into tomorrow’s open arms. For social science students and for those working to create a more just and peaceful world, these pages offer compelling, state-of-the-art insights into the roots and fruits of our human capacity for good and evil.”

—David G. Myers, PhD, Department of Psychology, Hope College


“This edition, like its predecessor, sends a clear message: the social psychology of moral thought, action, and relationships is intellectually compelling, theoretically sophisticated, and empirically persuasive. The chapters are not just summaries of what is known about the good and the bad of human social behavior, but theoretical masterpieces by experts who write with impressive depth, clarity, and insight. The theme of the first edition—that social psychology holds the key to understanding why people act in ways that are sometimes commendable, but sometimes reprehensible—is reaffirmed in this edition, and amplified by the addition of groundbreaking chapters dealing with important issues, including terrorism, dehumanization, objectification, and victimization. I plan to use this book as a reference, as a source of inspiration for research, and as the text in my course on good and evil.”

—Donelson R. Forsyth, PhD, Jepson School of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond


“Psychology has sometimes shied away from the empirical study of concepts with clear moral implications—and no concepts are more fraught in this regard than good and evil. This remarkable volume attests to the fact that anxiety about examining good and evil in an empirical light is abating. Miller has assembled a stellar cast of contemporary scholars to provide an up-to-the minute account of academically and clinically relevant phenomena, from the self-concept to dehumanization to media violence. This exceptional volume belongs on the shelves of students, scholars, and practitioners in both the applied and the basic branches of psychological science.”

—Robert F. Krueger, PhD, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota


“A splendid volume with an all-star cast of contributors. This book offers a balanced and provocative exploration of the worst—and best—of our inclinations and actions.”

—Lee D. Ross, PhD, Department of Psychology, Stanford University


“The first edition of this text rapidly became a go-to reference for students and scholars. Addressing issues of pressing importance across the social sciences and society as a whole, the book proved to be enormously influential, and I thought it would be hard to improve on. The second edition has proved me wrong. Thoroughly revised and updated, the chapters now have an even broader reach and wider relevance. Even if you have the first edition on your shelves, you must buy, read, teach, and talk about this landmark contribution to the field.”

—Alexander Haslam, PhD, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Australia


“What an outstanding volume! This book brings together what is known and understood regarding goodness, forgiveness, evil, callousness, cruelty, and kindness, authored by leading theorists and investigators from diverse professional perspectives. Clinicians and students will find this book truly fascinating reading. I can’t recommend it more highly.”

—Thomas A. Widiger, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction and Overview, Arthur G. Miller

I. Conceptual Perspectives on Good and Evil

2. The Evolution of Good and Evil, Joshua D. Duntley and David M. Buss

3. Free Will Evolved for Morality and Culture, Andrew E. Monroe, Kathleen D. Vohs, and Roy F. Baumeister

4. Categories, Intent, and Harm, Susan T. Fiske

5. “The Devil Made Me Do It”: The Deification of Consciousness and the Demonization of the Unconscious, John A. Bargh

II. Harming Others: Contexts, Causes, and Implications

6. Racism among the Well Intentioned: Bias without Awareness, John F. Dovidio, Samuel L. Gaertner, and Adam R. Pearson

7. Understanding Media Violence Effects, Sara Prot, Craig A. Anderson, Muniba Saleem, Christopher L. Groves, and Johnie J. Allen

8. How Dehumanization Promotes Harm, Nick Haslam and Steve Loughnan

9. The Social Psychology of Genocide and Mass Atrocities, Johanna Ray Vollhardt and Maggie Campbell-Obaid

10. Why Are the Milgram Experiments Still So Extraordinarily Famous—and Controversial?, Arthur G. Miller

11. A Social Interaction Approach to Objectification: Implications for the Social-Psychological Study of Sexual Violence, Sarah J. Gervais

III. The Self-Concept in Relation to Good and Evil Acts

12. False Moral Superiority, David Dunning

13. Making Relationship Partners Good: A Model of the Interpersonal Consequences of Compassionate Goals, Jennifer Crocker and Amy Canevello

14. Evil Persons or Evil Deeds?: What We’ve Learned about Incarcerated Offenders, June P. Tangney, Dan V. Blalock, Johanna B. Folk, and Jeffrey Stuewig

15. Dishonesty Explained: What Leads Moral People to Act Immorally, Francesca Gino and Dan Ariely

IV. Group Perspectives on Good and Evil

16. Bystanders and Emergencies: Why Understanding Group Processes Is Key to Promoting Prosocial Behavior, Mark Levine and Neil Wilson

17. Remembering Historical Victimization: Potential for Intergroup Conflict Escalation and Conflict Reduction, Nyla R. Branscombe, Michael J. A. Wohl, and Ruth H. Warner

18. Organizations Matter, Arthur P. Brief and Kristin Smith-Crowe

19. Globalization and Terrorism: The Primacy of Collective Processes, Fathali M. Moghaddam, Victoria Heckenlaible, Madeleine Blackman, Sarah Fasano, and Daniel J. Dufour

V. The Possibilities for Kindness

20. Benefits and Liabilities of Empathy-Induced Altruism: A Contemporary Review, C. Daniel Batson, Nadia Y. Ahmad, and E. L. Stocks

21. Volunteerism: Multiple Perspectives on Benefits and Costs, Mark Snyder, Allen M. Omoto, and Patrick C. Dwyer

22. The Psychology of Heroism: Extraordinary Champions of Humanity in an Unforgiving World, Zeno E. Franco and Philip G. Zimbardo

Index

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About the Editor

Arthur G. Miller, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Dr. Miller’s research and publications have focused on stereotyping and stigma, biases in attribution and social judgment, and judgmental reactions to diverse explanations of evil and violence. He recently coedited a special issue of the Journal of Social Issues: "Milgram at 50: Exploring the Enduring Relevance of Psychology's Most Famous Studies."

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Contributors

Nadia Y. Ahmad, PhD, St. Louis, Missouri

Johnie J. Allen, BA, Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

Craig A. Anderson, PhD, Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

Dan Ariely, PhD, The Center for Advanced Hindsight, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

John A. Bargh, PhD, Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

C. Daniel Batson, PhD, Department of Psychology (Emeritus), University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Roy F. Baumeister, PhD, Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

Madeleine Blackman, BA, Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

Dan V. Blalock, MA, Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia

Nyla R. Branscombe, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Arthur P. Brief, PhD, Department of Management, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

David M. Buss, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas

Maggie Campbell-Obaid, PhD, Department of Psychology and Philosophy, Framingham State University, Framingham, Massachusetts

Amy Canevello, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina

Jennifer Crocker, PhD, Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

John F. Dovidio, PhD, Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

Daniel J. Dufour, MA, Department of Government, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

David Dunning, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Joshua D. Duntley, PhD, Department of Criminal Justice, Stockton University, Galloway, New Jersey

Patrick C. Dwyer, PhD, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Sarah Fasano, MA, Department of Government, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

Susan T. Fiske, PhD, Department of Psychology and Woodrow Wilson School of Public Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

Johanna B. Folk, MA, Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia

Zeno E. Franco, PhD, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Samuel L. Gaertner, PhD, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware

Sarah J. Gervais, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska

Francesca Gino, PhD, Harvard Business School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Christopher L. Groves, MS, Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

Nick Haslam, PhD, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia

Victoria Heckenlaible, MA, Department of Politics and Public Policy, The American University of Kurdistan, Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Mark Levine, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom

Steve Loughnan, PhD, Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Arthur G. Miller, PhD, Department of Psychology (Emeritus), Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

Fathali M. Moghaddam, PhD, Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

Andrew E. Monroe, PhD, Department of Psychology, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina

Allen M. Omoto, PhD, Department of Psychology, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California

Adam R. Pearson, PhD, Department of Psychology, Pomona College, Claremont, California

Sara Prot, PhD, School of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom

Muniba Saleem, PhD, Department of Communication Studies and Institute of Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Kristin Smith-Crowe, PhD, Department of Organizational Behavior, Questrom School of Business, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

Mark Snyder, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

E. L. Stocks, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas

Jeffrey Stuewig, PhD, Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia

June P. Tangney, PhD, Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia

Kathleen D. Vohs, PhD, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Johanna Ray Vollhardt, PhD, Frances L. Hiatt School of Psychology, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts

Ruth H. Warner, PhD, Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri

Neil Wilson, PhD, College of Health and Wellbeing, University of Central Lancashire, Lancashire, United Kingdom

Michael J. A. Wohl, PhD, Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Philip G. Zimbardo, PhD, Department of Psychology (Emeritus), Stanford University, Stanford, California

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Audience

Students and researchers in social psychology; also of interest to sociologists.

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Course Use

Serves as a primary or supplemental text in advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level psychology courses addressing morality or good and evil.

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Previous editions published by Guilford:

First Edition, © 2004
ISBN: 9781593851941

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New to this edition:

• Many new authors; extensively revised with the latest theory and research.
• Section on group perspectives, with chapters on bystanders to emergencies, remembering historical victimization, organizational dynamics, and globalization and terrorism.
• Chapters on free will, conscious versus unconscious processes, media violence, dehumanization, genocide, and sexual violence.
• Chapters on false moral superiority, compassionate goals in relationships, and moral emotions in incarcerated offenders.