The Self and Perspective Taking: Contributions and Applications from Modern Behavioral Science

Helping clients cope with problems of self is an important goal of modern psychotherapy. However, without ways of understanding or measuring the self and self-relevant behavior, it’s difficult for psychologists and researchers to determine if intervention has been effective.

From a modern contextual behavioral point of view, the self develops in tandem with the ability to take perspective on one’s own and other people’s behavior. This collection of articles by Steven Hayes, Kelly Wilson, Louise McHugh, Ian Stewart, and other leading researchers begins with a complete history of psychological approaches to understanding the self before presenting contemporary accounts that examine the self and perspective taking from behavioral, developmental, and cognitive perspectives. The articles in The Self and Perspective Taking also explore the role of the self as it relates to acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, and mindfulness processes. Featuring work from world-renowned psychologists, this resource will help clinicians augment self-understanding in clients, especially those with autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and impaired perspective-taking abilities.

Editor Louise McHugh, PhD, is a faculty member in the school of psychology at University College Dublin.

Editor Ian Stewart, PhD, is a faculty member in the department of psychology at the National University of Ireland, Galway, and coauthor of The Art and Science of Valuing in Psychotherapy.

Foreword writer Mark Williams, PhD, is professor of clinical psychology and Wellcome Principal Research Fellow at Oxford University, UK.