Resources
email page print page
All Topic Reviews A Theory of Feelings"Intimate" Violence against Women1001 Solution-Focused Questions101 Healing Stories101 Things I Wish I'd Known When I Started Using Hypnosis50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God8 Keys to Body Brain BalanceA Brief History of Modern PsychologyA Conceptual History of PsychologyA Guide to Teaching Introductory PsychologyA History of Modern Experimental PsychologyA History of Psychology in AutobiographyA History of Social PsychologyA History of the MindA Hole in the HeadA Matter of SecurityA Mind of Its OwnA Place for ConsciousnessA Short Introduction to Promoting Resilience in ChildrenA Social History of PsychologyA Stroll With William JamesA System Architecture Approach to the BrainA Theory of FreedomA Very Bad WizardAbductedAbout FacesAccounts of InnocenceAction, Emotion and WillAdapting MindsADHD MeADHD in AdultsAdieu to GodAdult Bipolar DisordersAdvances in Culture and PsychologyAdvances in Identity Theory and ResearchAffect Regulation, Mentalization, and the Development of SelfAffective MappingAgainst HappinessAges and StagesAll Out!Alterations of ConsciousnessAmerican Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical NeurosciencesAn Argument for MindAncient Bodies, Modern LivesAnimal Tool BehaviorAnimals in TranslationAping MankindArtificial ConsciousnessAsperger Syndrome and Your ChildAsperger Syndrome, Adolescence, and IdentityAssessment and Treatment of Childhood Problems, Second EditionAssisted Suicide and the Right to DieAttachedAttention is Cognitive UnisonAutism and the Myth of the Person AloneAutopsy of a Suicidal MindBecoming an Effective PsychotherapistBehavioral Genetics in the Postgenomic EraBeing No OneBetween Two WorldsBeyond AppearanceBeyond BlueBeyond MadnessBeyond the BrainBeyond the DSM StoryBiofeedback for the BrainBipolar ChildrenBipolar DisorderBipolar KidsBlackwell Handbook of Childhood Cognitive DevelopmentBlind SpotsBlindsight The Nature of ConsciousnessBlubberlandBlushBodiesBody ConsciousnessBody Image, Eating Disorders, and Obesity in YouthBody WorkBorderline Personality DisorderBorn DigitalBorn to Be GoodBorn Together - Reared ApartBounceBoundaries in Human RelationshipsBounded RationalityBozo SapiensBrain and CultureBrain Arousal and Information TheoryBrain BugsBrain Change TherapyBrain Circuitry and Signaling in PsychiatryBrain FictionBrain, Mind, and Human Behavior in Contemporary Cognitive ScienceBrain-Based Therapy with AdultsBrain-WiseBrainstormingBraintrustBrainwashingBrandedBreaking Murphy's LawBright-SidedBuddha's BrainBullying and TeasingBuyologyCare of the PsycheCartesian LinguisticsCartographies of the MindCerebrum 2007Cerebrum 2010Changing the SubjectCharacter Strengths and VirtuesChild and Adolescent Psychological DisordersChildren’s Dreaming and the Development of Consciousness Chomsky NotebookClinical Psychiatry in Imperial GermanyClinical Psychology in Practice ClosureCognition and PerceptionCognition and the BrainCognitive BiologyCognitive DissonanceCognitive FictionsCognitive PragmaticsCognitive ScienceCognitive ScienceCognitive Systems and the Extended MindCognitive Therapy of Anxiety DisordersCold-Blooded KindnessComing of Age in Second LifeCommunication Issues In Autism And Asperger SyndromeCompassion and Healing in Medicine and SocietyComplementary and Alternative Therapies ResearchComprehending ColumbineConsciousnessConsciousnessConsciousnessConsciousnessConsciousnessConsciousness ConsciousnessConsciousness and Its Place in NatureConsciousness and LanguageConsciousness and Mental LifeConsciousness and MindConsciousness and the NovelConsciousness EmergingConsciousness RecoveredConsciousness RevisitedConsciousness, Self-Consciousness, and the Science of Being HumanContemporary Debates in Cognitive ScienceConversations on ConsciousnessConviction of the InnocentCreating a Life of Meaning and CompassionCredit and BlameCritical New Perspectives on Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderCritical PsychologyCritical Thinking About PsychologyCross-Cultural PsychologyCrowdsourcingCrueltyCultural Assessment in Clinical PsychiatryDamasio's Error and Descartes' TruthDangerous and Severe Personality DisorderDaniel DennettDaughters of MadnessDeafness In MindDeath of a ParentDeep Brain StimulationDeep ChinaDefining DifferenceDefining Psychopathology in the 21st CenturyDelusion and Self-DeceptionDelusions of GenderDennett and Ricoeur on the Narrative SelfDeparting from DevianceDescartes' BabyDescartes's Changing MindDescribing Inner Experience?Desert Islands and Other Texts (1953-1974)Destructive EmotionsDevelopment of Geocentric Spatial Language and CognitionDevelopment of PsychopathologyDialogues on DifferenceDid My Neurons Make Me Do It?Digital HemlockDirty MindsDisgust and Its DisordersDisorders of VolitionDo Apes Read Minds?Do Fish Feel Pain?Does Consciousness Cause Behavior?Doing without ConceptsEducating People to Be Emotionally IntelligentEffective IntentionsEffective Writing in PsychologyEffortless AttentionEmbodied Minds in ActionEmbracing MindEmbracing UncertaintyEmotion and ConsciousnessEmotion ExperienceEmotion RegulationEmotion, Evolution, And RationalityEmotional IntelligenceEmotionally InvolvedEmotionsEmotionsEmotions and LifeEmotions in Humans and ArtifactsEmotions RevealedEmotions, Aggression, and Morality in ChildrenEmotions, Stress, and HealthEmpathyEnjoymentErotic MoralityEscape Your Own PrisonEssays in Social NeuroscienceEssential Sources in the Scientific Study of ConsciousnessEthical Issues in Forensic Mental Health ResearchEthically Challenged ProfessionsEveryday Mind ReadingEvidence-Based Mental Health PracticeEvolution and Human BehaviorEvolution and LearningEvolution, Gender, and RapeEvolutionary Psychology and ViolenceEvolutionary Psychology as Maladapted PsychologyExacting BeautyExperiences of DepressionExplaining the BrainExplaining the BrainExplorations in Neuroscience, Psychology and ReligionExploring TranssexualismExpression and the InnerExtending Self-Esteem ResearchFact and Value in EmotionFaking ItFatigue as a Window to the BrainFavorite Activities for the Teaching of PsychologyFeeling GoodFeeling Pain and Being in PainFeelings and EmotionsFitting In Is OverratedFlourishingFlow: The Psychology of Optimal ExperienceFolk Psychological NarrativesForever YoungFormulation in Psychology and PsychotherapyFoucault, Psychology and the Analytics of PowerFoundational Issues in Human Brain MappingFoundations of Psychological ThoughtFree Will as an Open Scientific ProblemFreedom And NeurobiologyFreedom EvolvesFrom Axons to IdentityFrom Madness to Mental HealthFrom Neurons to Self-ConsciousnessFrom Passions to EmotionsFrom Philosophy to PsychotherapyFrontiers of ConsciousnessGay, Straight, and the Reason WhyGenerosityGenes, Environment, and PsychopathologyGenetic Nature/CultureGeniusGetting Under the SkinGlued to GamesGoing SaneGot Parts?Group GeniusGrowing Up GirlGut ReactionsHandbook New Sexuality StudiesHandbook of Closeness and IntimacyHandbook of Emotion RegulationHandbook of EmotionsHandbook of Personality DisordersHandbook of PsychopathyHandbook of Self and IdentityHandbook of Self and IdentityHappinessHappinessHappinessHappinessHappiness at WorkHappiness Is.Happy at LastHard to GetHardwired BehaviorHatredHealing the SplitHidden ResourcesHope and DespairHot ThoughtHot ThoughtHouse and PsychologyHow Animals Affect UsHow Can the Human Mind Occur in the Physical Universe?How Doctors ThinkHow Families Still MatterHow History Made the MindHow Infants Know MindsHow Many Friends Does One Person Need?How Professors ThinkHow The Body Shapes The MindHow the Body Shapes the Way We ThinkHow the Mind Explains BehaviorHow the Mind Uses the BrainHow to Change Someone You LoveHow We ReasonHow We RememberHughes' Outline of Modern PsychiatryHumanHuman Reasoning and Cognitive ScienceHypnotismHysteriaiBrainIdentifying Hyperactive ChildrenIdentifying the MindiDisorderImagination and the Meaningful BrainImitation and the Social MindImpulse Control DisordersImpulsivityIn an Unspoken VoiceIn Defense of SentimentalityIn DoubtIn Search of HappinessIn the Wake of 9/11Individual and Collective Memory ConsolidationInner PresenceInside the American CoupleIntegrated Behavioral Health CareIntegrating Evolution and DevelopmentIntegrating Psychotherapy and PharmacotherapyIntegrity and the Fragile SelfIntellectual DisabilityIntelligenceIntelligence, Destiny, and EducationIntentions and IntentionalityInterdependent MindsInterpreting MindsInto the Minds of MadmenIntoxicating MindsIntrospection VindicatedIntuitionInventing PersonalityIs There Anything Good About Men?Issues for Families, Schools and CommunitiesJane Sexes It UpJoint AttentionJoint AttentionJudgment and Decision MakingJust a DogJuvenile-Onset SchizophreniaKarl JaspersKey Thinkers in PsychologyKids of CharacterKilling MonstersLack of CharacterLanguage OriginsLanguage, Consciousness, CultureLanguage, Vision, and MusicLaw, Mind and BrainLess Than HumanLet Kids Be KidsLiving NarrativeLiving with Mild Cognitive ImpairmentLonelinessLooking for SpinozaLossLOT 2Love at Goon ParkMachine ConsciousnessMade for Each OtherMadnessMaking a Good Brain GreatMaking Minds and MadnessMaking Up the MindMale SexualityMan and WomanMan's Search for MeaningMan, Beast, and ZombieManic MindsManlinessMapping the MindMarking the MindMasculinity Studies and Feminist TheoryMeaningMeaning, Mortality, and ChoiceMedical MusesMeditating SelflesslyMeetings with a Remarkable ManMemoryMemory and DreamsMemory and EmotionMemory And UnderstandingMental IllnessMetacognitionMetacognition and Theory of MindMethods in MindMindMindMind and BrainMind and ConsciousnessMind Games:Mind in LifeMind TimeMind to MindMind, Brain and the Elusive SoulMindfulness and AcceptanceMinding AnimalsMinding MindsMindreadersMindsightMindworldsMirrors in the BrainMistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)Models of MadnessMoral Development and RealityMoral MindsMoral Psychology, Volume 1Moral Psychology, Volume 2Moral Psychology, Volume 3Mothers and OthersMotivational Interviewing: Preparing People For ChangeMovies and the MindMulticulturalism and the Therapeutic ProcessMultiplicityMuses, Madmen, and ProphetsMy Family AlbumMyths about SuicideNarrative IdentitiesNarrative PsychiatryNarratives in PsychiatryNaturalizing Intention in ActionNature and NarrativeNature Via NurtureNeither Bad nor MadNerveNeurochemistry of ConsciousnessNeurodiversityNeuroethicsNeurological Foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience Neuroscience and PhilosophyNo Child Left DifferentNo Two AlikeNot By Genes AloneNot Much Just Chillin'Nurturing the Older Brain and MindOn AnxietyOn Being MovedOn Deep History and the BrainOn DesireOn KillingOn Nature and LanguageOn PaedophiliaOn PersonalityOn the Frontier of AdulthoodOn the Origins of Cognitive ScienceOn The Stigma Of Mental IllnessOnflowOpen MindsOpening Skinner's BoxOrigin of MindOrigins of PsychopathologyOther MindsOut of Our HeadsOut of the WoodsOvercoming Depersonalization DisorderPanpsychism and the Religious AttitudePanpsychism in the WestParenting and the Child's WorldPassionate EnginesPathologies of the WestPatient-Based Approaches to Cognitive NeurosciencePediatric PsychopharmacologyPeople Types and Tiger StripesPerception CognitionPerception beyond InferencePerception, Hallucination, and IllusionPersonal Development and Clinical PsychologyPerspectives on ImitationPhantoms in the BrainPhenomenal Concepts and Phenomenal KnowledgePhenomenology and Philosophy of MindPhilosophical Foundations of NeurosciencePhilosophical MidwiferyPhilosophy and HappinessPhilosophy of PsychologyPhilosophy, Neuroscience and ConsciousnessPhrenologyPhysical RealizationPhysics in MindPieces of LightPlaying with FirePositive PsychologyPositive PsychologyPostcards from the Brain MuseumPostpsychiatryPosttraumatic Stress DisorderPoverty and Brain Development During ChildhoodPractical Ethics for PsychologistsPractical Management of Personality DisorderPractical Management of Personality DisorderPredicative MindsPredictably IrrationalPreference, Belief, and SimilarityPrenatal Testosterone in MindPrivileged AccessProcrastinationProust Was a NeuroscientistPsychiatric SlaveryPsychiatry as Cognitive NeurosciencePsychiatry, Psychoanalysis, And The New Biology Of MindPsychological AgencyPsychological Concepts and Biological PsychiatryPsychological Dimensions of the SelfPsychologists Defying the CrowdPsychologyPsychology and Consumer CulturePsychology and LawPsychology and the Question of AgencyPsychology for ScreenwritersPsychology of Women: A Handbook of Issues and TheoriesPsychology's GhostsPsychology's Interpretive TurnPsychology's TerritoriesPsychopathologyPsychopathyPsychotherapy, American Culture, and Social PolicyPutnam CampPutting a Name to ItQuantum Memory PowerQuietRadical DistortionRadical Embodied Cognitive ScienceRadical ExternalismRadical GraceRapeReal MaterialismReality CheckReconstructing Reason and RepresentationReconstructing the Cognitive WorldRecovery in Mental IllnessRecreative MindsRedirectReducing Adolescent RiskRegulating EmotionsRelational BeingRelational Mental HealthRemembering HomeRemembering Our ChildhoodResearch Advances in Genetics and GenomicsResearching Children's ExperienceResilience in ChildrenRethinking ADHDRethinking Learning DisabilitiesRethinking Middle YearsRethinking the Western Understanding of the SelfRevolution in PsychologyRoadmap to ResilienceSchizophrenia RevealedSchizophrenia, Culture, and SubjectivityScience and Pseudoscience in Clinical PsychologySecond NatureSecond NatureSecond-order Change in PsychotherapySecrets of the MindSee What I'm SayingSee What I'm SayingSeeing and VisualizingSeeing RedSelf and SocietySelf Comes to MindSelf Control in Society, Mind, and BrainSelf-Awareness Deficits in Psychiatric PatientsSelf-CompassionSelf-RegulationSelf-Representational Approaches to ConsciousnessSelfless InsightSelvesSerial KillersSex at DawnSex on the BrainSex, Time and PowerSexual Coercion in Primates and HumansSexual DisordersSexual FluiditySexual ReckoningsSexualized BrainsShame and GuiltShatteredSimulating MindsSisyphus's BoulderSNAPSocial NeuroscienceSocial NeuroscienceSocial NeuroscienceSocial Psychology and DiscourseSome We Love, Some We Hate, Some We EatSoul DustSparkSpiral of EntrapmentSplendors and Miseries of the BrainSports Hypnosis in PracticeStanding at Water's EdgeStich and His CriticsStillpowerStop OverreactingStructure and Agency in Everyday LifeStructures of AgencyStuffStumbling on HappinessSubjectivity and SelfhoodSubstance Abuse and EmotionSupersizing the MindSweet DreamsSynaptic SelfTalking Oneself SoberTalking to BabiesTaming the Troublesome ChildTargeting AutismTeaching Problems and the Problems of TeachingTeleological RealismTen Years of Viewing from WithinThat's DisgustingThe 5 Elements of Effective ThinkingThe Accidental MindThe Age of EmpathyThe Altruism EquationThe American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Clinical PsychiatryThe Anatomy of BiasThe Anxious BrainThe Archaeology of MindThe Art and Science of MindfulnessThe Art InstinctThe Art of HypnosisThe Asymmetrical BrainThe Bifurcation of the SelfThe Big Book of ConceptsThe Birth of the MindThe Blackwell Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge ManagementThe Blank SlateThe Body Has a Mind of Its OwnThe Bounds of CognitionThe Boy Who Was Raised as a DogThe Brain and the Meaning of LifeThe Brain That Changes ItselfThe Brain: Big Bangs, Behaviors, and BeliefsThe Cambridge Handbook of Situated CognitionThe Character of ConsciousnessThe Choice EffectThe Clinical Science of Suicide PreventionThe Cognitive Approach to Conscious MachinesThe Cognitive NeurosciencesThe College Fear FactorThe Commercialization of Intimate LifeThe Compass of PleasureThe Concepts of ConsciousnessThe Conscious SelfThe Consuming InstinctThe Creating BrainThe Creative BrainThe Crucible of ConsciousnessThe Crucible of ExperienceThe Cure WithinThe Dao of NeuroscienceThe Developing MindThe Developing MindThe Development of PsychopathologyThe Disappearance of the Social in American Social PsychologyThe Dissolution of MindThe Duty to ProtectThe Educated ParentThe Ego TunnelThe Encyclopedia of StupidityThe Enduring Self in People with Alzheimer'sThe Epidemiology of SchizophreniaThe Essential DifferenceThe Ethical BrainThe Evolution of ChildhoodThe Evolution of CooperationThe Evolution of LanguageThe Evolution of MindThe Evolving BrainThe Executive BrainThe Faces of TerrorismThe Feeling of What HappensThe First IdeaThe Folly of FoolsThe Folly of FoolsThe Fundamentalist MindsetThe Gender TrapThe Geography of BlissThe Gift of ShynessThe Happiness HypothesisThe Happiness of PursuitThe Health Psychology HandbookThe Healthy Aging BrainThe High Price of MaterialismThe History of PsychologyThe Human FaceThe Hypomanic EdgeThe Imagery DebateThe Immeasurable MindThe Imprinted BrainThe Innate MindThe Innate MindThe Language of ThoughtThe Languages of the BrainThe Lexicon of Adlerian PsychologyThe Lie DetectorsThe Lives of the BrainThe Lonely AmericanThe Lust for BloodThe Madness of WomenThe Male BrainThe Man Who Lost His LanguageThe Man Who Shocked the WorldThe Man Who Tasted ShapesThe Matter of the MindThe Mature MindThe Mean Girl MotiveThe Meaning of OthersThe Meaning of the BodyThe Measure of MindThe Medicalization of Everyday LifeThe Mind and the BrainThe Mind in ContextThe Mind of the ChildThe Mind's EyeThe Mind, the Body and the WorldThe Mindful BrainThe Misleading MindThe Moral MindThe Most Dangerous AnimalThe Most Human HumanThe Mother FactorThe Myth of ChoiceThe Myth of Depression as DiseaseThe Myth of Self HelpThe Myth of Self-EsteemThe Nature of the SelfThe Necessity Of MadnessThe Neuro RevolutionThe Neuroscience of Human RelationshipsThe Neuroscience of PsychotherapyThe Neuroscience of Psychotherapy: Healing the Social BrainThe New BrainThe New Science of DreamingThe New Science of the MindThe New UnconsciousThe Normal PersonalityThe Overflowing BrainThe Oxford Companion to the MindThe Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of MindThe Paradoxical PrimateThe Perfectionist's HandbookThe Phenomenology ReaderThe Philosopher's Secret FireThe Philosophical BabyThe Political MindThe Politics of HappinessThe Postnational SelfThe Postpartum EffectThe Power of PlayThe Praeger Handbook of TranssexualityThe Present Moment in Psychotherapy and Everyday LifeThe Primate MindThe Prism of GrammarThe Psychobiology of Trauma and Resilience Across the LifespanThe Psychology of Good and EvilThe Psychology of HappinessThe Psychology of LifestyleThe Psychology of Religious FundamentalismThe Psychology of Science and the Origins of the Scientific MindThe Psychology of Science and the Origins of the Scientific MindThe Psychology of SpiritualityThe Psychology of StereotypingThe Psychology of SuperheroesThe Psychophysiology of Self-AwarenessThe Pursuit of PerfectThe Quest for Mental HealthThe Rational ImaginationThe Ravenous BrainThe Reasons of LoveThe Routledge Companion to Philosophy of PsychologyThe Routledge Companion to Philosophy of PsychologyThe Science of EvilThe Second SelfThe Secret History of EmotionThe Secret Lives of BoysThe Self and Its EmotionsThe Self-Sabotage CycleThe Sensitive SelfThe Social AnimalThe Social Nature of Mental IllnessThe Social Neuroscience of EmpathyThe Social Psychology of Good and EvilThe Social Psychology of MoralityThe Structure of ThinkingThe Survivors ClubThe Talking ApeThe Tell-Tale BrainThe Temperamental ThreadThe Tender CutThe Tending InstinctThe Time ParadoxThe Trauma MythThe Trauma of Psychological TortureThe Trauma of Psychological TortureThe True PathThe Truth About GriefThe Turing TestThe Uncertain SciencesThe Unhappy ChildThe Upside of IrrationalityThe War for Children's MindsThe Wild Girl, Natural Man, and the MonsterThe Winner's BrainThe Wisdom in FeelingThe Woman RacketThe World in My Mind, My Mind in the WorldThe Wow ClimaxThe Yipping TigerThemes, Issues and Debates in PsychologyTheoretical Issues in Psychology: An IntroductionTheory of AddictionTheory of MindThings and PlacesThink CatThink Confident, Be ConfidentThinking about AddictionThinking and SeeingThis Emotional Life: In Search of Ourselves...and HappinessThought in a Hostile WorldTo Have and To Hurt:Toward an Evolutionary Biology of LanguageToward Replacement Parts for the BrainTrauma and Human ExistenceTrauma, Tragedy, TherapyTreating Attachment DisordersTreating Self-InjuryTrue to Our FeelingsTrusting the Subject?Understanding and Treating Borderline Personality DisorderUnderstanding ConsciousnessUnderstanding ParanoiaUnderstanding PeopleUnderstanding TerrorismUndoing Perpetual StressUnlock the Genius WithinUnsettled MindsUnstrange MindsUnthinkingUs and ThemViolent PartnersVirtue, Vice, and PersonalityVision and MindVisual AgnosiaWarrior's DishonourWe Who Are DarkWednesday Is Indigo BlueWelcome to Your BrainWhat Dying People WantWhat Intelligence Tests MissWhat Is an Emotion: Classic and Contemporary ReadingsWhat Is Emotion?What is Intelligence?What Is Mental Illness?What Is Thought?What the Best College Students DoWhat the Dog SawWhat We Know about Emotional IntelligenceWhat We Say MattersWhen Perfect Isn't Good EnoughWhen the Impossible HappensWhen Walls Become DoorwaysWho's Been Sleeping in Your HeadWho's in Charge?Why Love MattersWhy Lyrics LastWhy People CooperateWhy People Die by SuicideWhy Smart People Can Be So StupidWhy the Mind is Not a ComputerWhy Us?Why We LieWhy We LoveWider than the SkyWilliam James at the BoundariesWilling, Wanting, WaitingWittgenstein And PsychologyWomen and Child Sexual AbuseWorking MindsYoga and PsychologyYou Are What You RememberYoung Minds in Social WorldsYour Brain on CubsYour Brain on FoodYour Brain on YogaYour Child in the BalanceZombies and Consciousness
Review - Meaning, Mortality, and Choice
The Social Psychology of Existential Concerns
by Phillip R. Shaver and Mario Mikulincer (Editors)
American Psychological Association, 2012
Review by Keith E. Davis, Ph. D.
Apr 16th 2013 (Volume 17, Issue 16)
This is the fourth volume of the Herzliya Series on Personality and Social Psychology, all edited by Mario Mikulincer and Phillip R. Shaver and all published by the American Psychological Association. The editors are two of the most original and highly productive members of their generation in the world of personality and social psychology. Each is ranked among the top ten most productive scholars over the 1965 to 2000 period (In Quinones-Vidal, E., Lopez-Garcia, J. J., Penaranda-Ortega, Tortosa-Gil, F. (2004). The nature of social and personality psychology as reflected in JPSP, 1965-2000. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 435-452. They began their collaborative work with experimental tests of some of the foundational assumptions of attachment theory in 2001 and have been frequently collaborators since that period. Mikulincer had one of the best funded psychological research centers in the world—first at Bar-Ilan University and subsequently as Dean of the School of Psychology at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) at Herzliya. The IDC was a magnet for graduate students, post-docs, and visiting faculty from around the world. Although most of their empirical and theoretical work has dealt with the implications of attachment theory and expansion of its relevance to new areas (mindfulness, tolerance of pain, PTSD), the Herzliya conferences have allowed them to expanded their focus to prosocial behavior, human aggression, and morality—each receiving a conference and separate volume in the series.
The present volume addresses the four central givens of existence as summarized by Yolam (1980): "The problem of death and finitude, the threat of meaninglessness, the challenge of freedom, and the pain of existential isolation" (p.3). The volume is organized into five sections after the introduction. Each of the first four sections is devoted to chapters dealing with one of the four givens of existence, and the fifth section is devoted to philosophical/clinical attempts to deal constructively with these existential concerns. The contributors are largely well-recognized figures in their fields that still have something of interest to say with respect to the issues of meaning, mortality, and choice. The editors are to be commended for the very high standards of the scholarship, creativity, and written expression. This edited volume, in contrast to so many, is a delight to read, and one finds interesting ideas, arguments, and data throughout. It would be an excellent source for an undergraduate honors course, a graduate seminar, or for the intelligent laymen interested in these issues.
Let me summarize some of the highlights and then turn to the few nits that I have to pick. The first six chapters are devoted to death and the ways in which people cope with anxiety about death. Terror Management Theory (TMT) lies at the heart of most of these papers. Greenberg explains the origin of TMT in Becker's (1973) The Denial of Death, and presents new research showing how TMT has been related to brain activation, and its implication for emotional disorders, aging, and the desire for fame. Mikulincer Shaver tackle the question of just why death is so terrifying. Their new research suggestion that conditions that stimulate feelings of helplessness is part of what causes terror. Goldenberg uses TMT to organize a broad body of issues including discomfort with bodily functions (eating sex), condemnation and objectification of women's bodies, and compliance with health maintenance recommendations—all new areas of relevance for TMT.
The second section has five chapters dealing with aspects of the threat of meaninglessness. Park Edmonson examine the role that religious belief and practices play in restoring to one's life following a significant trauma or negative life experience. Taubman explores the role of positive life events, such as becoming a parent or grand parent, in creating opportunities for personal growth and a greater sense of meaning to one's life. Two chapters propose that the search for meaning does not always have positive effects. Landau et al., report on studies in which induced threats of meaninglessness increase the likelihood of scapegoating others. Kruglanski et al., take this issue further by showing that when individual methods of finding meaning seem insufficient, individuals will adopt a collectivist ideology and if it is associated with support for killing members of an enemy group, that may lead to embracing suicide bombing. This section offers an important balance of the positive and negative implications of a search for meaning.
The third section consists of four chapters dealing with various aspects of the challenges of human freedom. Freedom of choice and personal autonomy both contain significant opportunities and important responsibilities. Because we expect people to know what they are doing and why, most of the time, we hold them accountable for the results of their actions. We expect them to be able to give a sufficient rationale for their actions and not to say, "I just felt like it; or I don't know, it was just an impulse." These responses may get by in matters of taste but not in matters of prudence, appropriateness, or truthfulness. Ryan and his colleagues summarize self-determination theory and its implications for human's abilities relevant to choice and autonomy. They also report on a large body of evidence that persons who are high in their sense of self-determination are more successful in attaining their personal and collective goals, more prosocial in their behavior toward others, more connected to others and more vital and alive. This is one of the most important chapters in the volume and one showing the value of a respectful scientific approach to the study of these existential issues. The other chapters make contributions to (a) the role of positive and negative conditional regard as hindrances to the development of a sense of self-determination, (b) the role of Buddhist mindful practices in the enhancement of freedom, and (c) the fact that too many options/choices can be disturbing to effective behavior, reducing the person to a passive "picker" rather than an active "chooser."
The fourth section has three chapters that bring different theoretical perspectives to bear on the price and pain of social isolation. Shaver and Mikulincer present a tour de force review of research showing that the provision of a sense of security anchored in a loving relationship will mitigate many of the existential concerns reviewed in the earlier chapters. Worries about lack of freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness automatically activate desires for being close to loved ones. As they comment, this research contradicts Sartre's famous claim that "hell is other people." This chapter alone is worth the price of the volume.
Kipling Williams reviews the implications of several years of studies of social exclusion and ostracism. This research convincing shows that being excluded from joint, meaningful activities makes one more vulnerable to group influence and to engaging in aggression toward other persons. The final chapter in this section is by Joiner and Silva and it presents a theory of suicide that integrates three risk facts to provide a comprehensive analysis of who is likely to engaged in suicide attempts and why. These three factors are (a) a sense of being a burden to loved ones, (b) feeling isolated, and (c) having learned to tolerate pain and injury. This chapter is unusual for the breadth of evidence that it brings to bear.
The final section of the book consists of three chapters by authors who have developed comprehensive theories of how to engage in successful therapeutic interventions with the four major existential concerns. Schneider illustrates how existential therapy is conducted with a detailed case example. The crucial process is one of transforming the existential threats into opportunities for growth and vitality. In the chapter by Robert and Lisa Firestone, existential and psychoanalytic resources are integrated to create two therapeutic perspectives: Separation theory and voice theory. Separation theory deals with how early experience leads to defensiveness and how that gets reinforced through repeated developmental experiences. Voice theory helps the client to deal with these maladaptive defenses by rejecting fantasy bonds and replacing them with realistic and supportive attachment bonds. Yovel and Noa Bigman explain acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). They view ACT as a means of choosing and acting on core values without being preoccupied with negative thoughts and fantasies. As the editors note, their views are consistent with those of Buddhist psychology. Solomon wraps up the volume with a thoughtful overview and summary of major areas of agreement and disagreement among the chapter authors.
What are the limitations of the volume? The major one, in my view, is the failure to take on the conflict between the core positive message of the existential philosophers and psychologists and the standard view of the essentials of the scientific point of view. As conventionally understood, the existentialists see human choice as both a real and an unavoidable aspect of the human condition. Most educated Westerners see human choice as an illusion, a comforting idea supporting human vanity but totally misguided. Despite the several empirical studies showing the positive effects on human behavior to believe in having choice vs. not (see Baumeister, Masicampo, DeWall, 2009; Bergner Ramon, [in press], Vohs Schooler, 2011), it remains the conviction of many, if not most, psychological scientists that human choice is an illusion and that to do respectable science one must believe in determinism (Bargh, 2008;Wegner, 2002). Ossorio (1978) has shown in an elegant way what is wrong with this position. He does so by showing that the deterministic formulation of human behavior is equivalent to a status degradation on the concept of a person. In Garfinkel's (1967) presentation of the social practice of status degradation ceremonies, he noted that they require the following conditions to be met: (a) a community with shared values, (b) individuals occupying three logical roles—perpetrator, denouncer, and witnesses, (c) the denouncer's accusation that the perpetrator had violated a core community value, and (d) that the violation was not to be excused. (e) If the witnesses accept the denouncer's claims, then the perpetrator was (f) degraded in the sense that he was not one of us and thus no longer eligible to be a member of the community in good standing. How is this relevant to the determinism vs. freedom of choice debate?
The determinist's position is that in making choices among my everyday behaviors, I am really not choosing but engage in behaviors by doing what is antecedently determined by unknown causes. Thus you are not responsible for your behavior, nor for your belief that you can distinguish what is the case from what is not (truth from error). And all of this applies to all of us, including me, all of the time. In short, the determinist tells us that none of us is really one of us—or ever really was one of us. At this point we see that the determinist's position is neither true nor false, but merely ridiculous. And doing good psychological science does not require us to adhere to some ridiculous dictum.
References
Bargh, J. A. (2008). Free will is un-natural. In J. Baer, J. Kaufman, R. F. Baumeister (Eds.), Are we free? Psychology and free will. (pp. 128-154). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Baumeister, R. F., Masicampo, E. J., DeWall, C. N. (2009). Prosocial benefits of feeling free: Disbelief in free will increases aggression and reduces helpfulness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 260-268.
Becker, E. (1973). The Denial of death. New York, NY: The Free Press.
Bergner, R. M. Ramon, A. (in press). Some implications of beliefs in altruism, free will, and nonreductionism. Journal of Social Psychology,
Garfinkel, H. (1967). Conditions of successful degradation ceremonies. In J. G. Manis B. N. Meltzer (Eds.), Symbolic interaction: A reader in social psychology. Boston: Allyn Bacon.
Quinones-Vidal, E., Lopez-Garcia, J. J., Penaranda-Ortega, Tortosa-Gil, F. (2004). The nature of social and personality psychology as reflected in JPSP, 1965-2000. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 435-452.
Ossorio, P. G. (1978/2005). "What actually happens." The representation of real world phenomena.( Vol. 5. The collected works of Peter G. Ossorio). Ann Arbor, MI: The Descriptive Psychology Press.
Vohs, K. Schooler, J. (2011). The value of believing in free will. Psychological Science, 19, 49-54.
Wegner, D. (2002). The illusion of conscious will. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Yolam, I. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. New York, NY: Basic Books.
© 2013 Keith E. Davis
Keith E. Davis, Ph. D., Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia.