The Psychology of Sociability: Understanding Human Attachment

This edited volume brings together the latest research in understanding the nature, origins, and evolution of human sociability, one of the most intriguing aspects of human psychology.

Sociability―our sophisticated ability to interact with others, imagine, plan, and execute interdependent behaviours―lies at the heart of our evolutionary success, and is the most important prerequisite for the development of increasingly elaborate civilizations. With contributions from internationally renowned researchers in areas of social psychology as well as anthropology and evolutionary psychology, this book demonstrates the role of social psychology in explaining how human sociability evolved, how it shapes our mental and emotional lives, and how it influences both large-scale civilizational practices and intimate interpersonal relations. Chapters cover the core psychological characteristics that shape human sociability, including such phenomena as the role of information exchange, affective processes, social norms, power relations, personal relationships, attachment patterns, personality characteristics, and evolutionary pressures.

Featuring a wide variety of empirical and theoretical backgrounds, the book will be of interest to students and researchers in all areas of the social sciences, as well as practitioners and applied professionals who deal with issues related to sociability in their daily lives.

Joseph P. Forgas is Scientia Professor at the University of New South Wales. His research focuses on affective influences on social cognition and behavior. For his work, he received the Order of Australia and the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, and he has been elected Fellow of the Australian and Hungarian Academies of Science.

William Crano is Oskamp Professor of Psychology at Claremont Graduate University. He was Liaison Scientist for the US Office of Naval Research, NATO Senior Scientist, and Fulbright Senior Scholar. His research focuses on attitude development and attitude change and their applications.

Klaus Fiedler is Professor of Psychology at the University of Heidelberg and Fellow of the German Academies of Science, the Association for Psychological Sciences, and Society for Personality and Social Psychology. His research focuses on social cognition, language, judgments, and decision-making. He received several awards, including the Leibniz Award, and he is on the editorial boards of leading journals.