The Self: Psychology 341K, Spring 1999
Instructor: Bill Swann, Benedict 414, 471-3859
Office hours: By appointment
Teaching Assistant: Jennifer Bosson, Benedict 426, 471-0691
Office hours: By appointment
Time: Wednesday, 3:00-6:00 PM
Place: Parlin 103
Description: This course will focus on what social scientists (predominately psychologists, but also sociologists, anthropologists, and historians) have learned about self-knowledge and how it relates to social behavior. Topics will range from the nature of self-esteem and depression to positive illusions and what makes people satisfied with their relationships. To this end, we will read and critique a mix of contemporary and classic articles on the self.
Requirements and Grading.
Departmental Requirements. The Psychology Department will drop all students who do not meet the following prerequisites: (a) PSY 301 with a C or better; (b) Upper-Division standing (60 hours completed); (c) PSY 418 (or an equivalent listed in the course schedule) with a C or better
Class presentations. Each week one student will offer a brief synopsis/critique of a reading to facilitate class discussion.
Quizes: I will give you a pop quiz at the beginning of most of your classes. Questions will be short essays. Your scores on these quizes, together with class participation, will constitute 40% of your final grade.
Papers. There will be two papers that will sum to at least 16 pages in length. The first paper will be the first draft of the term paper, which will consist of either a research proposal or a literature review. This paper will count for 20% of your final grade. After turning this paper in, we will grade it and give you feedback. You will then revise the paper and turn in the final version. This will count for 20% of your final grade.
Readings: In addition to my book (Self-traps: The elusive quest for higher self-esteem), you are asked to purchase a selection of readings that will be available at Paradigm, 407 West 24th Street, 472-7986.
Week of January 21: Introduction
Week of January 28: Classical and contemporary issues
Swann, W. B., Jr. Self-traps, The Holy Grail of self-esteem, Chapter 1.
Baumeister, R. (1987). How the self became a problem: A psychological review of historical research. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 163-176.
Rosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the self. New York: Basic Books.
Week of February 4: The origin of the self
Swann, W. B., Jr. Self-traps, Chapter 4: Ghosts from the nursery? New York: Freeman.
Howe, M. L., & Courage, M. L. (1993). On resolving the enigma of infantile amnesia. Psychological Bulletin, 113, 305-326.
Cicchetti, D. (1991). Fractures in the crystal: Developmental psychopathology and the emergence of self. Developmental Review, 11, 271-287.
Sroufe, L. A. (1989). Relationships, self, and individual adaptation. In A. J. Sameroff & R. N. Emde (Eds.), Relationship disturbances in early childhood: A developmental approach (pp. 70-94). New York: Basic.
Week of February 11: Continuities and discontinuities in development
Caspi, A., & Bem, D. J. (1990). Personality continuity and change across the life course. In L. A. Pervin (Ed.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research. New York: Guilford Press.
Cottrell, L. (1969). Interpersonal interaction and the development of the self. In Handbook of socialization, theory and research (Ed. D. Goslin), Rand McNally, Chicago.
Sroufe, L. A., & Jacobvitz, D. (1989). Diverging pathways, developmental transformations, multiple etiologies and the problem of continuity in development. Human Development, 32, 196-203.
Week of February 18: The inferential nature of self-knowledge
Nisbett, R. E., & Wilson, T. D. (1977). Telling more than we can know: Verbal reports on mental processes. Psychological Review, 84, 231-259.
Ross, M. (1989). Relation of implicit theories to the construction of personal histories. Psychological Review,96, 341-357.
Kenny, D. (1996). Interpersonal perception. New Jersey: Erlbaum. chapter 9.
Week of February 25: Motivational Influences on self-knowledge I: Positivity strivings
Colvin, C. R., & Block, J. (1994). Do positive illusions foster mental health? An examination of the Taylor and Brown formulation. Psychological Bulletin, 116, 3-20.
Taylor, S. E., & Brown, J. D. (1988). Illusion and well being: Some social psychological contributions to a theory of mental health. Psychological Bulletin 103, 193-210.
Murray, S. L., & Holmes, J. G. (1993). Seeing virtues in faults: Negativity and the transformation of interpersonal narratives in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 707-722.
Week of March 4: Motivational Influences on self-knowledge II: Coherence strivings
Swann, W. B., Jr. Self-traps, Chapter 2: Grouchoâs paradox. New York: Freeman.
Swann, W. B., Jr. Self-traps, chapter 3: The Verified self. New York: Freeman.
Baumeister, R. F. The optimal margin of illusion. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 8, 176-189.
Week of March 11: Implicit self-esteem
Kitayama, S. & Karasawa, M. (1997). Implicit self-esteem in Japan: Name letters and birthday numbers. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23, 736-742.
Greenwald, A. G. & Banaji, M. (1995) Implicit social cognition: attitudes, self-esteem, and stereotypes. Psychological Review, 102, 4-27.
Pelham, B. W. & Hetts, J. J. (1998). Implicit and explicit personal and social identity: Toward a more complete understanding of the social self. Unpublished Ms.
Week of March 18: Spring break
Week of March 25: Self-awareness and self-deception
Anderson, J. R. (1984). The development of self-recognition: A review. Developmental Psychobiology, 17, 35-49.
Wright, K. (November, 1996). The Tarzan Syndrome. Discover (pp. 89-102).
Gur, R. C., & Sackeim, H. A. (1979). Self-deception: A concept in search of a phenomenon. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 147-169.
Greenwald, A. G. (1989). Self-knowledge and self-deception. In J. S. Lockard & D. L. Paulhus (Eds.), Self-deception: An adaptive mechanism? (pp. 113-131). New York: Prentice-Hall.
Week of April 1: Narcissism
John, O. P., & Robins, R. W. (1994). Accuracy and bias in self-perception: Individual differences in self-enhancement and the role of narcissism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 206-219.
Robbins, R. W., & John, O. P. (1997). Self-perception, visual perspective, and narcissism: Is seeing believing? Pychological Science, 8, 37-42.
Rodewalt, F., & Morf, C. C. (in press). Self and interpersonal correlates of the narcissistic personality inventory: A review and new findings. Journal of Research in Personality.
Week of April 8: Self and close relationships
Tesser, A. & Cornell, D. P. (1991). On the confluence of self processes. Journal of experimental social psychology, 27, 501-526.
Swann, W. B., Jr., De La Ronde, C., & Hixon, G. (1994). Authenticity and positivity strivings in marriage and courtship. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 857-869.
De La Ronde & Swann, W. B., Jr. (in press). Partner verification: Restoring shattered images of our partners. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Swann, W. B., Jr. Self-traps, Chapter 5, New York: Freeman.
Week of April 15: Cross-cultural perspectives on the self
Hoffman, D. M. (1990). Beyond conflict: Culture, self, and intercultural learning among Iranians in the U.S. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 14, 275-299.
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98, 224-253.
Zaharna, R. S. (1989). Self-shock: The double-binding challenge of identity. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 13, 501-525.
Week of April 22: Stereotypes and self-views I
Crocker, J., & Major, B. (1989). Social stigma and self-esteem: The self-protective properties of stigma. Psychological Review, 96, 608-630.
Pinel, L. Stigma-consciousness: The psychological legacy of social stereotypes. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Steele, C. M. (1997). A threat in the air: How stereotypes shape intellectual identity and performance. American Psychologist, 52, 613-629.
Week of April 29: Stereotypes and self-views II
Wood, W., Christensen, P. N., Hebl, M. R. & Rothgerber, H. (1997). Conformity to sex-typed norms, affect, and self-concept. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 523-535.
Josephs, R. A., Markus, H. R., Tafarodi, R. W. (1992). Gender and self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 391-402.
Heilman, M. E., & Herlihy, J. M. (1984). Affirmative action, negative reaction? Some moderating conditions. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 33, 204-213.
Week of May 6: Self and society
Cushman, P. (1990). Why the self is empty: Toward a historically situated psychology. American Psychologist, 45, 599-611.
Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., & Pyszczynski, T. (1991) Terror management theory of self-esteem and cultural worldviews: Empirical assessements and conceptual refinements. In M. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 29, pp. 61-139). New York: Academic Press.
Swann, W. B. Self-traps, Chapter 6