In Zero-Variable Theories, Dr. Robert Wicklund invites the reader to consider the psychological perspective of the "explainer". In examining the over-simplifications that have become dominant in modern psychology, the author points to such factors as competition with other explainers and pressure to offer and promulgate a unique explanation. The explainer is characterized as equating theory with simple, fixed categories, and as defending those categories as one would defend a personal territory, fending off competing explainers through mis-use of statistical devices. The end result is the formulation of theories that neglect the perspectives of those whose behaviors are to be explained, and which simultaneously exclude psychological variables.

Psychologists have always been interested in interest, and so modern research on interest can be found in nearly every area of the field: Researchers studying emotions, cognition, development, education, aesthetics, personality, motivation, and vocations have developed intriguing ideas about what interest is and how it works. Exploring the Psychology of Interest presents an integrated picture of how interest has been studied in all the wide-ranging areas of psychology. Using modern theories of cognition and emotion as an integrative framework, Paul Silvia examines the nature of interest, what makes things interesting, the role of interest in personality, and the development of peoples idiosyncratic interests, hobbies, and avocations. His examination reveals deep similarities between seemingly different fields of psychology and illustrates the profound importance of interest, curiosity, and intrinsic motivation for understanding why people do what they do. The most comprehensive work of its kind, Exploring the Psychology of Interest will be a valuable resource for student and professional researchers in cognitive, social, and developmental psychology.

This book honors Jack W. Brehm's contributions to psychology, all of which revolve around a central theme of motivation and social behavior. It begins with two personal chapters and then presents a collection of cutting-edge, substantive chapters authored by researchers whose work Brehm has strongly influenced. It concludes with a chapter by Jack Brehm that reflects on the field of psychology, discusses a new theory of social influence, and offers ideas about the direction in which our understanding of human behavior could move. Motivational Analyses of Social Behavior will be of value to research scientists, educators, and practitioners interested in social motivational processes and those who developed major theories in this area. Interested readers include individuals specializing in social, clinical, organizational, personality, health, and motivational psychology, and psychophysiology. The book would also be ideal for advanced courses on social motivation and the history of psychology.

Self-awareness - the ability to recognize one's existence - is one of the most important variables in psychology. Without self-awareness, people would be unable to self-reflect, recognize differences between the self and others, or compare themselves with internalized standards. Social, clinical, and personality psychologists have recognized the significance of self-awareness in human functioning, and have conducted much research on how it participates in everyday life and in psychological dysfunctions. Self-Awareness & Causal Attribution: A Dual-Systems Theory presents a new theory of how self-awareness affects thought, feeling, and action. Based on experimental social-psychological research, the authors describe how several interacting cognitive systems determine the links between self-awareness and organized activity. This theory addresses when people become self-focused, how people internalize and change personal standards, when people approach or avoid troubling situations, and the nature of self-evaluation. Special emphasis is given to causal attribution, the process of perceiving causality. Self-Awareness & Causal Attribution will be useful to social, clinical, and personality psychologists, as well as to anyone interested in how the self relates to motivation and emotion.

"...how a man rallies to life's challenges and weathers its storms tells everything of who he is and all that he is likely to become." —St. Augustine It has long been understood that how a person adjusts to life stresses is a major component of his or her ability to lead a fulfilling life. Yet it wasn't until the 1960s that coping became a discrete topic of psychological inquiry. Since then, coping has risen to a position of prominence in the modern psychological discourse—especially within the personality, cognitive, and behavioral spheres—and, within the past decade alone, many important discoveries have been made about its mechanisms and functioning, and its role in ongoing psychological and physical health and well-being. A book whose time has come at last, the Handbook of Coping is the first professional reference devoted exclusively to the psychology of coping. Reporting the observations and insights of nearly sixty leading authorities in stress and coping from a wide range of affiliations and schools of thought, it brings readers the state of the art in coping theory, research, assessment, and applications. In orchestrating the book, the editors have scrupulously avoided imposing any particular slant or point of view, other than the need to foster greater eclecticism and cooperation between researchers and clinicians concerned with the phenomenon of coping. The Handbook of Coping is divided into five overlapping parts, the first of which serves to lay the conceptual foundations of all that follows. It traces the history of coping from its origins in psychoanalytic theories of unconscious defense mechanisms, and provides an exhaustive review of the latest conceptualizations, models, and constructs. The following section provides an in-depth exploration of current research methodology, measurement, and assessment tools. Part Three explores key facets of coping in a broad range of specific domains, including everyday hassles, chronic disease, cataclysmic events, and many others. The penultimate section focuses on individual differences. Among important topics covered here are coping styles and dispositions; the role of family, social support, and education; and coping behaviors across the life span. The final section, Part Five, is devoted to current applications. Clinical parameters are defined and a number of specific interventions are described, as are proven techniques for helping clients to improve their coping skills. A comprehensive guide to contemporary coping theory, research, and applications, the Handbook of Coping is an indispensable resource for practitioners, researchers, students, and educators in psychology, the health sciences, and epidemiology. Of related interest ... EGO DEFENSES: Theory and Measurement —Edited by Hope R. Conte and Robert Plutchik This book explores the nature and manifestations of defense mechanisms and traces ego defense theory and research from Freud's initial conceptualization through recent work in object-relations theory and other psychoanalytically oriented approaches. It provides clinical guidelines for diagnosing, assessing, and dealing with defenses, reviews empirical research techniques, and indicates their value in development and in psychotherapy. This volume should be of value to theoreticians, clinicians, and researchers interested in finding appropriate tools for measurement of defense mechanisms. 1994 SOCIAL SUPPORT: An Interactional View —Edited by Barbara R. Sarason, Irwin G. Sarason, and Gregory R. Pierce The study of social support and its relationship to personality, health, and adjustment is one of the fastest growing areas of research and application in psychology. This book contains integrative surveys of clinical and field studies, experimental investigations, and life-span explorations. It approaches social support as an important facet of interpersonal relationships and shows its undesirable, as well as its positive, features. 1990 (0-471-60624-3) 528 pp.

Providing a comprehensive perspective on human desire, this volume brings together leading experts from multiple psychological subdisciplines. It addresses such key questions as how desires of different kinds emerge, how they influence judgment and decision making, and how problematic desires can be effectively controlled. Current research on underlying brain mechanisms and regulatory processes is reviewed. Cutting-edge measurement tools are described, including practical recommendations for their use. The book also examines pathological forms of desire and the complex relationship between desire and happiness. The concluding section analyzes specific applied domains--eating, sex, aggression, substance use, shopping, and social media.