scholarly journals Grief, Care, and Play: Theorizing the Affective Roots of the Social Self

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth Abrutyn ◽  
Omar Lizardo
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Psychological Theory ◽  
The Self ◽  
Social Self ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Symbolic Interactionist ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
The Social ◽  
Understanding Emotions ◽  
Social Psychological Theory

For several decades, some sociologists have turned to evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and cognitive science to support, modify, and reconfigure existing social psychological theory. In this paper, we build on this momentum by considering the relevance of recent work in affective and cognitive neuroscience for understanding emotions and the self. Our principal aim is to enlarge the range of phenomena currently considered by sociologists who study emotion, while showing how affective dynamics play an important role across every outcome and process of interests to social scientists. : Central to our concern is the way in which external social objects become essential to, and emotionally significant for, the self. To that end, we draw on ideas from phenomenology, pragmatism, classic symbolic interactionism, and dramaturgy. We begin by showing how basic affective systems may graft on, build from, and extend current social psychological usages of emotions as well as the important sociological work being done on self, from both symbolic interactionist (SI) and identity theory (IT) perspectives. Subsequently, we turn to the promising directions in studying emotional biographies and various aspects related to embodiment.

scholarly journals Euripides’ Medea and Jason: A Study in the Social Power of Love

Phronimon ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 31-47
Author(s):  
Kofi Ackah
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Relationships ◽  
Social Power ◽  
Psychological Theory ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Psychological Perspective ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
The Social ◽  
Power Game ◽  
Social Psychological Theory ◽  
Social Psychological Perspective

Euripides’ Medea resonates with modern issues in intimate relationships. However, little has been written on this, especially from the social-psychological perspective. This paper explores the breakdown of the Jason-Medea marriage in terms of the social-psychological theory of love as an exchange in a power game in which a certain degree of imbalance in the exchange could account for such a breakdown. I analyse the Medea text in terms of Olson and Cromwell’s (1975) tripartite theoretical framework, namely: (a) the bases on which social power is built; (b) the processes by which social power is wielded; and (c) the outcomes produced by the use of social power. I find that Medea carried a greater burden of love towards Jason than Jason did towards her, fuelled and sustained by her enduring and greater need for security and happiness. And in intimate relationships, the principle of least interest (Waller and Hill 1951) works: the beloved tends to dominate the lover. Jason, however, overreached himself when he violated the minimum conditions of his own desirability – fidelity to and respect for Medea. I conclude that Medea’s violent reaction to Jason’s conduct indicates the fragility of love as a basis of social power in intimate relationships.

Self-Esteem and Self-Enhancement

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary P. Hohman ◽  
Joshua K. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Theory ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Self ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Social Psychological Theory

Self-esteem and self-enhancement are two critical phenomena that play major roles in social psychological theory and research. Everyone has an idea what self-esteem is; however, from an empirical standpoint, what exactly is self-esteem is hotly debated. The unidimensional definition of self-esteem defines it as a global assessment of one’s worth, with greater self-esteem being associated with greater self-worth. Whereas the multidimensional view of self-esteem defines self-esteem as a ratio of competences and worthiness. Furthermore, self-esteem can be broken down into different types: trait self-esteem is a stable view of the self that does not fluctuate much from day to day; state self-esteem is a more transitory view of the self that fluctuates from day to day; and domain-specific self-esteem relies on decisions we make about ourselves or self-evaluations about how we perform in specific situations. Regardless of type, there is an overall belief that humans have an innate need for high self-esteem and that they are particularly attuned to situations that may threaten this. When self-esteem is threatened, people enact behaviors aimed at increasing it: this is called self-enhancement. The idea that people are driven to self-enhance has become a popular topic in psychology and is found in some of the field’s most influential theories. For example, self-determination theory (SDT) examines both interpersonal and intrapersonal aspects of self-esteem and self-enhancement. Terror management theory (TMT) explains why human beings need self-esteem and how they self-enhance. Sociometer theory is concerned with understanding how self-esteem developed in humanity’s past and how it affects self-enhancement in the present. Finally, self-affirmation theory focuses on how people try to self-enhance after their self-integrity has been threatened.

Taking the Social Origins of Human Nature Seriously: Toward a More Imperialist Social Psychology

2004 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilynn B. Brewer
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Psychological Theory ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Basic Premise ◽  
Social Interdependence ◽  
Human Psychology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Psychological Theory

To recognize that human beings are adapted for social living is fundamental to the science of human psychology. I argue that the development of broad social psychological theory would benefit from taking this basic premise more seriously. We need to pay more attention to the implications for personality and social psychology of recognizing that all of the building blocks of human psychology—cognition, emotion, motivation-have been shaped by the demands of social interdependence. In this article I illustrate the generative potential of this basic premise for development of more expansive social theory.

Care of the S: Dynamics of the mind between social conflicts and the dialogicality of the self

Human Affairs ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman Madzia
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Moral Philosophy ◽  
Psychological Theory ◽  
The Self ◽  
Social Conflicts ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Social Psychological Theory

AbstractThe paper deals predominantly with the theory of moral reconstruction in George H. Mead’s thinking. It also points out certain underdeveloped aspects of Mead’s social-psychological theory of the self and his moral philosophy, and attempts to develop them. Since Mead’s ideas concerning ethics and moral philosophy are anchored in his social psychology, the paper begins with a description of his theory and underlines some problematic areas and tries to solve them. The most important of these, as the author argues, is the hypothesis that social conflicts should be seen as the root of reflective, discursive thinking. Unlike some of his contemporaries (such as Vygotsky), Mead failed to appreciate this aspect of the genesis of the dynamics of the self.

Providing Freshmen with a Good “Starting-Block”

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 69-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikaël De Clercq ◽  
Charlotte Michel ◽  
Sophie Remy ◽  
Benoît Galand
Keyword(s):  
The Self ◽  
The Other ◽  
Student Adjustment ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Pivotal Phase ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Study Task ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Belonging ◽  
Intention To Persist

Abstract. Grounded in social-psychological literature, this experimental study assessed the effects of two so-called “wise” interventions implemented in a student study program. The interventions took place during the very first week at university, a presumed pivotal phase of transition. A group of 375 freshmen in psychology were randomly assigned to three conditions: control, social belonging, and self-affirmation. Following the intervention, students in the social-belonging condition expressed less social apprehension, a higher social integration, and a stronger intention to persist one month later than the other participants. They also relied more on peers as a source of support when confronted with a study task. Students in the self-affirmation condition felt more self-affirmed at the end of the intervention but didn’t benefit from other lasting effects. The results suggest that some well-timed and well-targeted “wise” interventions could provide lasting positive consequences for student adjustment. The respective merits of social-belonging and self-affirmation interventions are also discussed.

Social Psychological Theory: View From Germany

1981 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 611-612
Author(s):  
Stephen G. West ◽  
Anne Maass
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Theory ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Social Psychological Theory ◽  
Theory View
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