Description
Book SynopsisInsecurity is an inevitable part of being human. Although life is insecure for every organism, humans alone are burdened by knowing that this is so. This ground-breaking volume features contributions by leading international researchers exploring the social psychology of insecurity and how existential, metaphysical, and social uncertainty influence human social behaviour.
Chapters in the book investigate the psychological origins of insecurity, evolutionary theorizing about the functions of insecurity, the motivational strategies people adopt to manage insecurity, self-regulation strategies, the role of insecurity in the formation and maintenance of social relationships, and the influence of insecurity and uncertainty on the organization of larger social systems and public affairs. The chapters also discuss how insecurity influences many areas of contemporary social life, highlighting the applied implications of this line of research. Topics covered include the role of
Table of Contents
Part 1: The Nature and Sources of Insecurity 1. Understanding the Psychology of Insecurity: Evolutionary, Cognitive, and Cultural Perspectives 2. The Evolution of Insecurity 3. The Interactive Role of Death, Uncertainty, and the Loss of Shared Reality on Societal and Individual Insecurity 4. The Uncertainty Challenge: Escape It, Embrace It 5. Insecurity Can Be Beneficial: Reflections on Adaptive Strategies for Diverse Trade-off Settings Part II: Managing Individual Insecurity 6. The Arc of Dissonance: From Drive to Uncertainty 7. Persuasion as a Sop to Insecurity 8. Self-Handicapping in the Face of Uncertainty: The Paradox That Most Certainly Is 9. Strategy, Trust, and Freedom in an Uncertain World 10. Seeking Moral Meaning in Misfortune: Assigning Blame, Without Regard for Causation Part III: The Role of Insecurity in Social Relationships 11. Attachment Security and Coping with Existential Concerns: Studying Security Dynamics in Dyadic, Group, Sociopolitical, and Spiritual/Religious Relationships 12. Beyond Dyadic Interdependence: Romantic Relationships in an Uncertain Social World 13. Adult Attachment Insecurity During the COVID Pandemic: Heightened Insecurity and Its Undoing 14. Social Identity Dynamics in the Face of Overwhelming Uncertainty 15. From Individual Insecurity to Collective Security: The Group Survival Motivation Part IV: The Role of Insecurity and Uncertainty in Politics and Public Life 16. Trust in Social Institutions: The Role of Informational and Personal Uncertainty 17. The Politics of Insecurity: How Uncertainty Promotes Populism and Tribalism 18. Uncertainty, Academic Radicalization, and the Erosion of Social Science Credibility 19. Escape from uncertainty: To conspiracy theories and pseudoscience 20. Feelings of Insecurity as Drivers of Anti-Establishment Sentiments
