Social Relationships: Cognitive, Affective and Motivational Processes (Sydney Symposium in Social Psychology)

Human beings are an intrinsically gregarious species - our personal relationships are of immense interest to us and are a key factor in achieving happiness and well being. From the moment of birth, humans crave love and intimacy and we devote much energy to creating and maintaining successful personal relationships throughout our personal and our working lives. However, modern industrialized societies present a particularly challenging environment for sustaining rewarding personal relationships. Understanding how people initiate, develop, maintain, and terminate relationships is one of the core issues in psychology, and the subject matter of this book. Contributors to this volume are all leading researchers in relationship science, and they seek here to explore and integrate the subtle influence that evolutionary, socio-cultural, and intra-psychic (cognitive, affective and motivational) variables play in relationship processes. In addition to discussing the latest advances in areas of relationship research, they also advocate an expanded theoretical approach that incorporates many of the insights gained from evolutionary psychology, social cognition, and research on affect and motivation. The contributions should be highly relevant to researchers, teachers, students, laypersons and to everyone who is interested in the subtleties of human relationships. The book is also highly recommended to clinical, health, and relationship professionals who deal with relationship issues in their daily work. Publisher's Description: Effective Social Interaction Requires Sophisticated Mental And Motivational Strategies. The Social Mind Reviews And Integrates Recent Psychological Research On The Relationship Between People's Thoughts And Motives - Their 'social Mind' - And Their Interpersonal Strategies. The Research Shows That Success In Personal Relationships, Group Behavior And Strategic Interaction Are All Significantly Influenced By How Individuals Interpret And Explain The Social World Around Them. The Implications Of This Research For Personal Adjustment, Organizational Effectiveness, And Clinical, Counselling And Health Psychology Are Also Explored. Dimensions Of The Social Mind : Size, Asymmetries, Congruence, And Sex Differences In Thought Systems Focused On Self Or Other Persons / William J. Mcguire And Claire V. Mcguire -- Affect And The Social Mind : Affective Influences On Strategic Interpersonal Behaviors / Joseph P. Forgas -- Motivating Cognitive Change : The Self-standards Model Of Dissonance / Joel Cooper -- The Motivational And Cognitive Dynamics Of Day-to-day Social Life / John B. Nezlek -- The Social Self : The Quest For Identity And The Motivational Primacy Of The Individual Self / Constantine Sedikides And Lowell Gaertner -- Cognitive And Motivational Processes In Self-presentation / Dianne M. Tice And Jon Faber -- Self-esteem And Interpersonal Strategies / Astrid Schütz -- The Social Mind Of The Narcissist : Cognitive And Motivational Aspects Of Interpersonal Self-construction / Frederick Rhodewalt --^ Uncertainty Orientation And The Social Mind : Individual Differences In The Interpersonal Context / Richard M. Sorrentino, Gordon Hodson, And Günter L. Huber -- Perceiving, Feeling, And Wanting : Experiencing Prior Relationships In Present-day Interpersonal Relations / Susan M. Andersen And Kathy R. Berenson -- Ideal Standards In Close Relationships / Garth J.o. Fletcher And Jeffry A. Simpson -- Victims And Perpetrators Provide Discrepant Accounts : Motivated Cognitive Distortions About Interpersonal Transgressions / Roy F. Baumeister And Kathleen Catanese -- Inside The Social Mind Of The Ostracizer / Kipling D. Williams, Ladd Wheeler, And Joel A.r. Harvey -- Self-categorization And Subjective Uncertainty Resolution : Cognitive And Motivational Facets Of Social Identity And Group Membership / Michael A. Hogg -- Motivation Gains In Performance Groups : Aspects And Prospects / Norbert L. Kerr --^ The Social Influence Of Automatic Responding : Controlling The Uncontrollable / Pascal Huguet [and Others] -- Directed Social Influence / William D. Crano -- Cognitive And Social Motivation In Group Decision Making / Martin F. Kaplan And Henk Wilke. Edited By Joseph Forgas, Kipling D. Williams, Ladd Wheeler. Second In A New Series Entitled The Sydney Symposium Of Social Psychology--preface. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Sect. 1. Introduction And Basic Principles -- Evolutionary, Sociocultural, And Intrapsychic Influences On Personal Relationships: An Introductory Review / Joseph P. Forgas And Julie Fitness -- Passionate Love And Sexual Desire: Multidisciplinary Perspectives / Elaine Hatfield And Richard L. Rapson -- Evolution Or Love And Long-term Bonds / Cian C. Gonzaga And Martie G. Haselton -- Augmenting The Sense Of Security In Romantic, Leader-follower, Therapeutic, And Group Relationships: A Relational Model Of Psychological Change / Phillip R. Shaver And Mario Mikulincer -- Attachment Matters: Patterns Of Romantic Attachment Across Gender, Geography, And Cultural Forms / David P. Schmitt -- Sect. 2. Cognitive Processes In Relationships -- Is Love Blind? Reality And Illusion In Intimate Relationships / Garth J.o. Fletcher And Alice D. Boyes -- Knowing When To Shut Up: Do Relationship Reflections Help Or Hurt Relationship Satisfaction? / Linda K. Acitelli --^ Understanding Relational Focus Of Attention May Help Us Understand Relational Phenomena / Margaret S. Clark, Steven M. Graham, Erin Williams And Edward P. Lemay -- Committed To What? Using The Bases Of Relational Commitment Model To Understand Continuity And Change In Social Relationships / Christopher R. Agnew, Ximena B. Arriaga And Juan Wilson -- Sect. 3. Motivational And Affective Processes In Relationships -- Social Identity And Close Relationships / Marilynn B. Brewer -- Developmental Antecedents Of Emotion In Romantic Relationships / Jeffry A. Simpson, W. Andrew Collins, Sisi Tran And Katherine C. Haydon -- Happy And Close, But Sad And Effective? Affective Influences On Relationship Judgments And Behaviors / Joseph P. Forgas -- Approach And Avoidance Motivation In Close Relationships / Shelly L. Gable -- Sibling Relationships In Adolescent And Young Adult Twin And Nontwin Siblings: Managing Competition And Comparison / Patricia Noller, Susan Conway And Anita Blakeley-smith --^ Sect. 4. Managing Relationship Problems -- Punishment And Forgiveness In Close Relation Ships: An Evolutionary, Social-psychological Perspective / Julie Fitness And Julie Peterson -- Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration: Insights From The Science Of Self-regulation / Eli J. Finkel -- Realizing Connectedness Goals? The Risk Regulation System In Relationships / Sandra L. Murray -- Relational Ostracism / Lisa Zedro, Ximena B. Arriaga And Kipling D. Williams -- Attending To Temptation: The Operation (and Perils) Of Attention To Alternatives In Close Relationships / Bowland S. Miller. Edited By Joseph P. Forgas, Julie Fitness. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Affective States Have A Highly Important, Yet Little Understood Influence On How People Think About, Remember, And Respond To Social Situations. Contributions From Leading Psychologists In The Field Review And Integrate The Most Recent Work On The Role Of Affect In Social Life. They Offer New Insights On The Fundamental Links Between Affect And Cognition, And Report Recent Research And Theories Illustrating How Affective States Can Play A Subtle And Often Subconscious Role In Guiding Peoples' Thoughts, Memories, Judgments, Attitudes And Behaviors In Social Situations. The Insights Offered In This Book Have Major Implications For Several Applied Fields Where The Links Between Feeling, Thinking And Behavior Are Of Interest, Such As Clinical, Counseling, Health And Organizational Psychology. Introduction : The Role Of Affect In Social Cognition / Joseph P. Forgas -- Feeling And Thinking : Closing The Debate Over The Independence Of Affect / Robert B. Zajonc -- Challenge And Threat Appraisals : The Role Of Affective Cues / Jim Blascovich And Wendy Berry Mendes -- Consequences Require Antecedents : Toward A Process Model Of Emotion Elicitation / Craig A. Smith And Leslie D. Kirby -- Fundamental Factors In Mood-dependent Memory / Eric Eich And Dawn Macaulay -- On The Correction Of Feeling-induced Judgmental Biases / Leonard Berkowitz [and Others] -- Moods Do Not Convey Information : Moods In Context Do / Leonard L. Martin -- Miswanting : Some Problems In The Forecasting Of Future Affective States / Daniel T. Gilbert And Timothy D. Wilson -- The Interplay Of Affect And Cognition : The Mediating Role Of General Knowledge Structures / Herbert Bless -- Toward An Integrative Account Of Affect And Cognition Phenomena Using The Bias Computer Algorithm / Klaus Fiedler -- Affect And Information Processing Strategies : An Interactive Relationship / Joseph P. Forgas -- Self-organization In Emotional Contexts / Carolin J. Showers -- Prologue To A Unified Theory Of Attitudes, Stereotypes, And Self-concept / Anthony G. Greenwald [and Others] -- Affect, Cognition, And The Social Emotions / Mark R. Leary -- Grounding Categories In Emotional Response / Paula M. Niedenthal And Jamin H. Halberstadt -- Feeling And Thinking : Summary And Integration / Joseph P. Forgas. Edited By Joseph P. Forgas. First In A New Series Entitled The Sydney Symposium Of Social Psychology--preface. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Social influence processes play a key role in human behavior. Arguably our extraordinary evolutionary success has much to do with our subtle and highly developed ability to interact with and influence each other. In this volume, leading international researchers review and integrate contemporary theory and research on the many ways people influence each other, considering both explicit, direct, and implicit, indirect influence strategies. Three sections examine fundamental processes and theory in social influence research, the role of cognitive processes and strategies in social influence phenomena, and the operation of social influence mechanisms in group settings. By applying the latest research to a wide range of interpersonal phenomena, this volume greatly advances our understanding of social influence mechanisms in strategic social interaction, and should be of interest to all students, researchers and practitioners interested in the dynamics of everyday interpersonal behavior. 1. The Social Self: Introduction And Overview / Joseph P. Forgas And Kipling D. Williams -- 2. Overlapping Mental Representations Of Self And Group: Evidence And Implications / Eliot R. Smith -- 3. Egocentrism And The Social Self: Anchoring (and Adjustment) In Self And Social Judgments / Thomas Gilovich -- 4. Judgment Standards And The Social Self: A Shifting Standards Perspective / Monica Biernat, Scott Eidelman And Kathleen Fuegen -- 5. Affective Influences On Self-perception And Self-disclosure / Joseph P. Forgas And Stephanie J. Moylan -- 6. Positioning Self-handicapping Within The Self-zoo: Just What Kind Of Animal Are We Dealing With? / Edward R. Hirt And Sean M. Mccrea. Edited By Joseph P. Forgas And Kipling D. Williams. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. What is the nature of the 'self', how do everyday experiences shape it, and how does it influence our thinking, judgements and behaviors? Such questions constitute enduring puzzles in psychology, and are also of critical practical importance for applied domains such as clinical, counseling, educational and organizational psychology. In this book a select group of eminent international researchers survey the most recent advances in research of the self. In particular, they discuss the influence of cognitive and intra-psychic processes (Part 1), interpersonal and relational variables (Part 2), and inter-group phenomena on the self (Part 3). Affective states have a highly important, yet little understood influence on how people think about, remember, and respond to social situations. This book offers new insights on the fundamental links between affect and cognition, and reports recent research and theories illustrating how affective states can play a subtle and often subconscious role in guiding peoples' thoughts, memories, judgments, attitudes and behaviors in social situations. The role of affect in how people think and behave in social situations has been a source of fascination to laymen and philosophers since time immemorial. This text reviews and integrates research and theories on this topic Thought systems are postulated to develop around important core concepts including those, like the self and significant others, that epitomize the social mind.