Building, Defending, and Regulating the Self A Psychological Perspective

This volume illuminates the processes of self maintenance and change. Each chapter is written in a clear and engrossing style, which makes the work interesting and informative, even to readers without a technical background. The work is organized into three main approaches, the first being concerned with self-growth or self-building. This section argues for the social and psychological benefits of becoming aware of who we truly are - for example, moving toward our ideal selves and being open to what we find around us. The second view of self and self-change describes the self as motivated to maintain illusions and a flattering self-image. This section puts a new spin on understanding processes associated with defending the self. Lastly, the third section recognizes that we regulate everything from our food intake to our emotional responses. The chapters in this final section provide several new perspectives on regulating the self.
On Building, Regulating, and Defending the Self is part of a series sponsored by the International Society for Self and Identity, presenting research that is currently leading scientific inquiry into aspects of self and identity.

This volume pulls together research on several aspects of the self. One set of chapters deals with the importance of building a self based on authenticity and "Who I really am."; a second group deals with the ways in which we defend views of the self as positive and powerful; a third group is concerned with multiple aspects of self regulation. Each of the chapters is a well-written, non-technical description of an important, currently active research program.

About the EditorsContributorsIntroduction: Building, defending and regulating the self: An overviewAbraham Tesser, Joanne V. Wood and Diederik A. StapelI. Building the self: The Ideal, the authentic and the open selfChapter 1: The Michelangelo Phenomenon in Close Relationships Caryl E. Rusbult, Madoka Kumashiro, Shevaun L. Stocker, and Scott T. WolfChapter 2: From Thought and Experience to Behavior and Interpersonal Relationships: A Multicomponent Conceptualization of Authenticity Michael H. Kernis and Brian M. GoldmanChapter 3: Transportation into Narrative Worlds: Implications for the Self Melanie C. GreenChapter 4: Conflict and Habit: A Social Cognitive neuroscience Approach to the SelfMatthew D. Lieberman and Naomi I. EisenbergerII. Defending the selfChapter 5: Ideal Agency: The Perception of Self as an Origin of Action Jesse Preston and Daniel M. Wegner Chapter 6: Reflections in Troubled Waters: Narcissism and the Vicissitudes of an Interpersonally Contextualized Self Frederick Rhodewalt and Carolyn C. Morf Chapter 7: Nagging Doubts and a Glimmer of Hope: The Role of Implicit Self-Esteem in Self-Image Maintenance Steven J. Spencer, Christian H. Jordan, Christine E.R. Logel, and Mark P. ZannaIII. Regulating the selfChapter 8: Approach Avoidance Motivation and Self-Concept EvaluationAndrew J. Elliot and Rachel R. Mapes Chapter 9: Self Conscious Emotion and Self-Regulation Dacher Keltner and Jennifer S. Beer Chapter 10: On the Hidden Benefits of State Orientation: Can People Prosper without Efficient Affect Regulation Skills? Sander L. Koole, Julius Kuhl, Nils Jostmann, and Kathleen D. Vohs Chapter 11: The Roles of the Self in Priming-to-Behavior Effects. S. Christian Wheeler, Kenneth G. DeMarree, and Richard E. PettyAuthor IndexSubject Index

Abraham Tesser, Research Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia, is a former Editor of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and a former President of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Recognition of his research on self-evaluation and on thought and ruminative processes includes the Donald T. Campbell Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and the Career Award from the International Society for Self and Identity. After completing her Ph.D. at UCLA, Joanne Wood has held faculty positions at SUNY-Stony Brook and at the University of Waterloo. She has served as an associate editor of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and on the editorial boards for Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and Self and Identity. Wood's publications concern affect regulation, social comparison, and mechanisms underlying the maintenance of self-esteem.Diederik Stapel, Professor at the University of Groningen, is a former Associate Editor of the British Journal of Social Psychology and has served on the editorial boards of Self and Identity, European Journal of Social Psychology, and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. For his research on knowledge accessibility effects he earned the Jos Jaspars Award of the European Association of Experimental Social Psychology. Stapel's publications concern person perception, unconscious emotional responses, and social comparison.