The Psychology of Insecurity: Seeking Certainty Where None Can Be Found

Insecurity 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 insecurity in social communication, social judgments, decision-making, group identification, morality, interpersonal behaviour, relationships, attitudes, and many applied aspects of social life and politics where understanding the psychology of insecurity is of critical importance.

This accessible and engaging book will be of interest to students, researchers, and practitioners as a textbook or reference book in behavioural and social science fields, as well as to a broad spectrum of intelligent lay audiences seeking to understand one of the most intriguing issues that shapes human social life.

Joseph P. Forgas is a Scientia Professor at the University of New South Wales. His research focuses on affective influences on social cognition and behaviour. 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 D. 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 the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. His research focuses on social cognition, language judgements, and decision-making. He received several awards, including the Leibniz Award, and he is on the editorial boards of leading journals.