Overview

What is the self? This is a questions that has vexed philosophers, theologians, and social scientists from time immortal. Although psychology certainly does not have an absolute grasp on the self, I believe that current research and theorizing is pointing the way toward what it means to have a self, how the self operates, and the purpose of the self. To that end, we are going to review some basic research on the self and how it functions.

Readings

Weekly readings will be made available. Additional information will be provided in class. The reading list begins on page 3 of this syllabus. You are responsible for all assigned reading and should be prepared to discuss the reading in class.

Class Structure and Organization

I feel that graduate courses have two goals. One goal is to convey information and the other goal is educate future professionals how to read and analyze the psychological literature in a particular domain. Some classes emphasize conveying information and the instructor lectures a passive audience. Other classes focus on analyzing the literature and tend to have a free-form discussion with no structure. I hope to find a middle ground. To facilitate this, the class will be structured as follows:

I will begin each class with a brief (15 minute) overview of the material, discussing the history of the topic, current state of research (as I see it), and why the topic matters. This won’t be a formal lecture and you should feel free to interrupt, object, comment, and discuss.

Second, we will discuss the readings for the day. To facilitate this discussion, I will ask each of you to e-mail me a detail critique of one of the articles for that weeks’ reading. That is, you should select one of the articles and act as if you were a reviewing it for a journal. These analyses should be less than a page long and must be received by 9 am of the day of the class. At the minimum, your comments should address:

· What is the purpose of the study?

· What are the specific hypotheses under investigation?

· What are the independent and dependent variables? How are those variables operational defined?

· What are the strengths and weaknesses of the author's operational definitions of their variables? Can you think of any suggestions for improvement?

· How do the results fit into other theories of the self?

· What is you overall evaluation of the study? What would you have done differently? Why?

Finally, papers will be assigned to individual students to present (marked with an * on the reading list). The students will present the reading to the rest of the class and discuss how it relates to the topic of the day. You should make the material as clear and interesting as possible. The student presenting should be prepared to lead a discussion on that paper. Students not assigned to present the paper do not have to read the article (although they may wish to).

Requirements and Grading

There will not be any exams in class. Your grade will be based on the quality of the discussion questions you hand in each week, the quality of your participation in class, your presentation of the supplementary papers, and a final term paper. Your final grade will be calculated out of 100 points.

Class Participation (10 points). Although I periodically will lecture, class meetings will center around the empirical articles. You do not need to talk a blue streak, but please try to make a few good points. Every student will be expected to talk; I will call on you if you do not. Each week you will receive a grade of zero or one based on your participation. I will drop the lowest two weeks (thus you can be absent two weeks without hurting your grade).

Discussion points (20 points). Your discussion points are due to me by 9 am the day of the class. Late discussion points are unacceptable. Any late discussion will receive a zero. Each week you will receive a grade of zero, one, or two based on the points you raise in your discussion; the lowest week will be drop.

Presentation (20 points). Your presentation of the article will be graded based on the clarity and usefulness of the points you raise. Incoherent or rambling presentations will lose points. Facilitating a good discussion will gain points.

Term Paper (50 points). The major project for this course is a term paper. The paper must be typed and should be 15 - 20 pages in length (not to exceed 20 pages of text). The paper must also adhere to APA style and should have minimal stylistic errors. Students should consult with me about their topic before turning in a detailed outline by November 26. Final copies of the papers will be due by noon on December 15. These papers should be useful to you in your future work and indeed, the paper should be in a form that could be readily turned into a submitted manuscript. The term paper can be in one of two forms:

A theoretical paper that reviews the social psychology literature and presents a new way of looking at a problem. The format of this paper should be like ones that appear in Personality and Social Psychology Review or Psychological Bulletin.

A research proposal that addresses an important, interesting, and theretofore unexamined aspect of social psychology. You should develop a specific hypothesis that has not been tested and propose one or more feasible studies that will test this hypothesis. You should not propose a study you are have ran or are current running, although it could be a study you plan to run in the future. This paper should be modeled after the type of papers that appear in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology or Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Schedule of Lectures, Reading, and Class Events

INTRODUCTION

Week 1 Overview and introduction to the self

Jordan, C. H., & Zanna, M. P. (2001). How to read a journal article in social psychology. In C. Stangor (Ed.), Stereotypes and prejudice: Essential readings (pp. 457-466). Philadelphia: Psychology Press Self-Knowledge

Mischel, W., & Morf, C. C. (2003). The self as a psycho-social dynamic processing system: A meta-perspective on a century of the self in psychology. In M. R. Leary & J. P. Tangney (Eds.), Handbook of self and identity (pp. 15-43). New York: Guilford

Sedikides, C., & Skowronski, J. J. (1997). The symbolic self in evolutionary context. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 1, 80-102.

Reflexive Self-Knowledge

Week 2 Information processing and self-awareness

Showers, C. J., Abramson, L. Y., & Hogan, M. E. (1998). The dynamic self: How the content and structure of the self-concept change with mood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 478-493.

Coats, S., Smith, E. R., Claypool, H. M., & Banner, M. J. (2000). Overlapping mental representations of self and in-group: Reaction time evidence and its relationship with explicit measures of group identification. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 36, 304-315.

Duval, T. S., & Silvia, P. J. (2002). Self-awareness, probability of improvement, and the self-serving bias. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 49-61.

Wood, J. V., Saltzberg, J. A., Neale, J. M., Stone, A. A., & Rachmiel, T. B. (1990). Self focused attention, coping responses, and distressed mood in everyday life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 1027-1030.

*Gilovich, T., Medvec, V. H., & Savitsky, K. (2000). The spotlight effect in social judgment: An egocentric bias in estimates of the salience of one's own actions and appearance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 211-222.

Week 3 Sources and motives of self-knowledge I: Social Sources

Wilson, T. D., Lisle, D. J., Schooler, J. W., & Hodges, S. D. (1993). Introspecting about reasons can reduce post-choice satisfaction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 19, 331-339.

Olson, J. M. (1992). Self-perception of humor: Evidence for discounting and augmentation effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 369-377.

Swann, W. B., Jr., & Pelham, B. (2002). Who wants out when the going gets good? Psychological investment and preference for self-verifying college roommates. Self and Identity, 1, 219-233.

Galinsky, A. D., Stone, J., & Cooper, J. (2000). The reinstatement of dissonance and psychological discomfort following failed affirmation. European Journal of Social Psychology, 30, 123-147.

*Wilson, A. E., & Ross, M. (2001). From chump to champ: People's appraisals of their earlier and present selves. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 572-584.

Week 4 Sources and motives of self-knowledge II: Self-Enhancement

Sedikides, C. (1993). Assessment, enhancement, and verification determinants of the self-evaluation process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 317-338.

Crocker, J. (1999). Social stigma and self-esteem: Situational construction of self-worth. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 35, 89-107.

Leary, M. R., Tambor, E. S., Terdal, S. K., & Downs, D. L. (1995). Self-esteem as an interpersonal monitor: The sociometer hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 518-530.

Goldenberg, J. L., McCoy, S. K., Pyszczynski, T., Greenberg, J., & Solomon, S. (2000). The body as a source of self-esteem: The effect of mortality salience on identification with one's body, interest in sex, and appearance monitoring. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 118-130.

*Baumeister, R. F. (1989). The optimal margin of illusion. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 8, 176-189.

Week 5 Effects of Self-Esteem

Pelham, B. W., Mirenberg, M. C., & Jones, J. T. (2002). Why Susie sells seashells by the seashore: Implicit egotism and major life decisions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 469-487.

Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2003). "Isn't it fun to get the respect that we're going to deserve?" Narcissism, social rejection and aggression. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 261-272.

Tesser, A., Crepaz, N., Beach, S. R. H., Cornell, D., & Collins, J. C. (2000). Confluence of self-esteem regulation mechanisms: On integrating the self-zoo. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 1476-1489.

Brown, J. D., & Dutton, K. A. (1995). The thrill of victory, the complexity of defeat: Self-esteem and people's emotional reactions to success and failure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 712-722.

*Sherman, D. A. K., Nelson, L. D., & Steele, C. M. (2000). Do messages about health risks threaten the self? Increasing the acceptance of threatening health messages via self-affirmation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 1046-1058.

Interpersonal Self

Week 6 Self-presentation

Tice, D. M., Butler, J. L., Muraven, M., & Stillwell, A. M. (1995). When modesty prevails: Differential favorability of self-presentation to friends and strangers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 1120-1138.

Gilbert, D. T., & Silvera, D. H. (1996). Overhelping. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 678-690.

Batson, C. D., Ahmad, N., Yin, J., Bedell, S. J., Johnson, J. W., Templin, C. M., et al. (1999). Two threats to the common good: Self-interested egoism and empathy and empathy-induced altruism. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25, 3-16.

*Leary, M. R., & Jones, J. L. (1993). The social psychology of tanning and sunscreen use: Self-presentational motives as a predictor of health risk. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 23, 1390-1406.

Week 7 Interpersonal Consequences of Self-Views

Tice, D. M. (1992). Self-presentation and self-concept change: The looking-glass self is also a magnifying glass. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 435-451.

Murray, S. L., Holmes, J. G., MacDonald, G., & Ellsworth, P. C. (1998). Through the looking glass darkly? When self-doubts turn into relationship insecurities. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 1459-1480.

Newman, L. S., Duff, K. J., & Baumeister, R. F. (1997). A new look at defensive projection: Thought suppression, accessibility, and biased person perception. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 980-1001.

Downey, G., Freitas, A. L., Michaelis, B., & Khouri, H. (1998). The self-fulfilling prophecy in close relationships: Rejection sensitivity and rejection by romantic partners. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 545-560.

*Aron, A., & Fraley, B. (1999). Relationship closeness as including other in the self: Cognitive underpinnings and measures. Social Cognition, 17, 140-160.

Week 8 Emotions and Interpersonal Self

Tangney, J. P., Wagner, P. E., Hill Barlow, D., Marschall, D. E., & Gramzow, R. (1996). Relation of shame and guilt to constructive versus destructive responses to anger across the lifespan. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 797-809.

Leary, M. R., Landel, J. L., & Patton, K. M. (1996). The motivated expression of embarrassment following a self-presentational predicament. Journal of Personality, 64, 619-636.

Spencer, S. M., & Norem, J. K. (1996). Reflection and distraction: Defensive pessimism, strategic optimism, and performance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22, 354-365.

Erber, R., Wegner, D. M., & Therriault, N. (1996). On being cool and collected: Mood regulation in anticipation of social interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 757-766.

*Baumeister, R. F., Stillwell, A., & Wotman, S. R. (1990). Victim and perpetrator accounts of interpersonal conflict: Autobiographical narratives about anger. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 994-1005.

Week 9 Cross-cultural self

Sedikides, C., Gaertner, L., & Toguchi, Y. (2003). Pancultural self-enhancement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 60-79.

Gaertner, L., & Insko, C. A. (2000). Intergroup discrimination in the minimal group paradigm: Categorization, reciprocation, or fear? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 77-94.

Brewer, M. B., & Gardner, W. (1996). Who is this "We"? Levels of collective identity and self representations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 83-93.

Gabriel, S., & Gardner, W. L. (1999). Are there "his" and "hers" types of interdependence? The implications of gender differences in collective versus relational interdependence for affect, behavior, and cognition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 642-655.

*Blanton, H., Christie, C., & Dye, M. (2002). Social identity versus reference frame comparisons: The moderating role of stereotype endorsement. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 253-267.

Executive Self

Week 10 Seeking control and self-efficacy

Langer, E. J. (1975). The illusion of control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32, 311-328.

Thompson, S. C., Nanni, C., & Levine, A. (1994). Primary versus secondary and central versus consequence-related control in HIV-positive men. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 540-547.

Pacini, R., Muir, F., & Epstein, S. (1998). Depressive realism from the perspective of cognitive-experiential self-theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1056-1068.

Updegraff, J. A., Taylor, S. E., Kemeny, M. E., & Wyatt, G. E. (2002). Positive and negative effects of HIV infection in women with low socioeconomic resources. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 382-394.

*Cioffi, D., & Garner, R. (1996). On doing the decision: Effects of active versus passive choice on commitment and self-perception. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22, 133-147.

Week 11 Self-regulation

Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822-848.

Williams, G. C., Grow, V. M., Freedman, Z. R., Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (1996). Motivational predictors of weight loss and weight-loss maintenance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 115-126.

Bargh, J. A., Chen, M., & Burrows, L. (1996). Automaticity of social behavior: Direct effects of trait construct and stereotype activation on action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 230-244.

Gollwitzer, P. M., & Brandstätter, V. (1997). Implementation intentions and effective goal pursuit. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 186-199.

*Vallacher, R. R., Wegner, D. M., & Somoza, M. P. (1989). That's easy for you to say: Action identification and speech fluency. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56, 199-208.

Week 12 Test-Operate-Test-Exit Units

Carver, C. S., Lawrence, J. W., & Scheier, M. F. (1999). Self-discrepancies and affect: Incorporating the role of feared selves. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25, 783-792.

Roney, C. J. R., Higgins, E. T., & Shah, J. (1995). Goals and framing: How outcome focus influences motivation and emotion. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 1151-1160.

Muraven, M., Collins, R. L., & Nienhaus, K. (2002). Self-control and alcohol restraint: An initial application of the self-control strength model. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 16, 113-120.

Wegner, D. M., Shortt, J. W., Blake, A. W., & Page, M. S. (1990). The suppression of exciting thoughts. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 409-418.

*Martin, L. L., Ward, D. W., Achee, J. W., & Wyers, R. S. (1993). Mood as input: People have to interpret the motivational implications of their mood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 317-326.

Week 13 Self-defeating behavior

Tice, D. M., Bratslavsky, E., & Baumeister, R. F. (2001). Emotional distress regulation takes precedence over impulse control: If you feel bad, do it! Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 53-67.

Muraven, M., Collins, R. L., Morsheimer, E. T., Shiffman, S., & Paty, J. A. (2003). The morning after: Limit Violation Effect and Alcohol Use. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Stone, J. (2002). Battling doubt by avoiding practice: The effects of stereotype threat on self-handicapping in white athletes. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 1667-1678.

*Baumeister, R. F., Heatherton, T. F., & Tice, D. M. (1993). When ego threats lead to self-regulation failure: Negative consequences of high self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 141-156.