"Like the prior edition, this volume provides the most comprehensive and forward-looking overview of scholarship and theory on the construction of the self. The second edition is a major step forward--much exciting new work has been done in this area in the last 10 years. Harter offers a masterful summary and critique of this work; even more important, she gives us strong and insightful guidance for the future. Everyone interested in the construction of the self should read this book. It is an outstanding resource for seasoned researchers as well as an essential guide for young scholars entering the field and launching their research careers."--Jacquelynne S. Eccles, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Education, University of California, Irvine "In The Construction of the Self, Second Edition, Harter shows again why she has been the preeminent scholar in child and adolescent development for over four decades. Weaving together new theoretical insights with a far-ranging review of diverse research literatures, Harter provides a masterful look at the processes through which cognitive changes and personal experiences combine to influence self-views, which in turn underlie broader patterns of social and psychological development. Harters perspectives on adaptive and maladaptive trajectories of self-development provide an important framework for promoting self-views that buttress positive relationships and psychological well-being."--Mark R. Leary, PhD, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University "Harter surveys the struggle for a sense of identity and worth that individuals face from youth to old age. She offers an in-depth description of how families and cultures shape our self-concepts, and how so many of these adopted identities hamper personal growth and connectedness. On topics from motivation to mindfulness, this second edition offers both solid wisdom and new insights. Harter is truly one of developmental psychologys luminaries."--Richard M. Ryan, PhD, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University; Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester-The development of the self is a complexsometimes difficult to comprehendprocess, not easily explained by simplistic models. This book has a sophistication, empirical grounding, and clinical savvy that make it an essential book for therapists interested in individual construction of the self.--Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 3/8/2012As has been the case throughout most of Harter's distinguished career, the emphasis is on the developmental nature of self. This expands the book's importance to a broad audience, which includes parents. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers.--Choice Reviews, 10/1/2012

Autorentext

Susan Harter, PhD, until her death in 2020, was Professor Emerita of Psychology at the University of Denver. Dr. Harter was known for her pioneering research on the concept of the self. Her interests included self-esteem, the construction of multiple selves, false-self behavior, classroom motivation, emotional development, gender issues, and school violence. Her research resulted in the construction of a lifespan battery of self-concept assessment instruments used widely in the United States and internationally. Dr. Harter wasa recipient of the John Evans Professorship Award, the highest scholarly honor the University of Denver can bestow on a faculty member, as well as the University Lecturer of the Year Award.

Klappentext

An important work from a leading scholar, this book explores self-development from early childhood to adulthood. Susan Harter traces the normative stages that define the emergence of many self-processes, including self-esteem. Restructured and significantly revised, the second edition reflects over a decade of conceptual, empirical, and methodological advances. It provides a broader sociocultural framework for understanding self-development and gives increased attention to the liabilities of our contemporary preoccupation with the self. Initial chapters describe how children, adolescents, and emerging adults assess their own competencies and overall worth and form a core, enduring sense of self. Harter examines the ways in which self-evaluative judgments at distinct developmental stages are shaped by both individual differences and societal influences. She shows that increasingly mature features of the self pose both benefits and risks for psychological adjustment. Subsequent chapters delve into particular characteristics and contexts of the self. Compelling topics include the links between self-esteem and physical appearance; the nature and functions of self-conscious emotions, with expanded coverage of humiliation; self-processes and motivation in the classroom; and cross-cultural research. Throughout, the book highlights the causes and consequences of different types of self-representations, including those that are unrealistically negative or positive. The integrative concluding chapter focuses on the ubiquity of false-self behavior--particularly narcissism--in today's society, identifying promising pathways for promoting authentic self-worth. Combining state-of-the-art theory and research with rich clinical insights, this authoritative volume will be read with interest by developmental, personality/social, and educational psychologists, as well as child clinical psychologists and other mental health professionals.

Inhalt

Foreword, William M. Bukowski 1. Introduction: A Contemporary Approach to Self-Development 2. Developmental Differences in Self-Representations during Childhood 3. Developmental Differences in Self-Representations during Adolescence 4. Self-Processes during Emerging Adulthood 5. The Inextricable Link between Perceived Physical Appearance and Self-Esteem 6. Self-Conscious Emotions 7. Self-Processes and Motivation in the Classroom 8. Cross-Cultural and Multicultural Considerations 9. Reconsidering the Self: In Search of Authenticity