The Social Self

How self-knowledge influences interactions and perceptions.

Allen R. McConnell, Ph.D., is the James and Beth Lewis Professor of Psychology at Miami University. He studies the self, nonconscious processes, and group stereotyping. See full bio

November 25, 2009

Managing stress during the holidays: Psychologist, heal thyself

I found myself stressed, increasingly irritable, and becoming more and more unhappy as my life felt like a rickety wagon being held together by duct tape stretched to the breaking point. How did things get so crazy? Suddenly, I accepted the call of "psychologist, heal thyself." Read More

September 14, 2009

Sportsfans seek self-esteem

This weekend saw football move into high gear, as the NFL regular season began and several big college games took place. As fans don their favorite team's uniforms, paint their faces, and affix team flags to houses and cars alike, it's a good time to ask "Why do people do these things?" Read More

July 22, 2009

ME equals MY KIDS

What does it mean when people, in social circumstances, begin equating themselves with their children? Recently, I've been struck by acquaintances whose Facebook profile pictures are their kids without them in it or by friends who answer the question "what's up with you?" with an endless list of things that their children are doing. Read More

July 8, 2009

Why the draw to Michael Jackson now?

After spending much of the past two weeks in Southern California visiting friends and seeing local as well as national coverage of Michael Jackson's death, I was struck by why so many fans came out of the woodwork expressing grief and sadness about Jackson's passing. Read More

June 25, 2009

Did everyone see me do that?

We often feel that everything we do is under a social microscope. For example, we worry that everyone will notice the awkward statement that we make during an important conference call or that everyone was focused on our appearance on a "bad hair day." Are such worries justified or are we just being too sensitive when such thoughts cross our mind? Read More

June 18, 2009

The self is typically a community of selves, not a single monolith

We often hear someone claim that a friend, lover, parent, or co-worker seems to have multiple personalities. For example, we may find ourselves asking why is Sarah assertive at work but so subservient to her boyfriend? Or we may think, how can Mike be meek around his family but so brazen with his college buddies? What should we make of people like these and what are the implications? Read More

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Human beings are social animals, and the tenor of our social life is one of the most important influences on our mental health.

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