The Self

The self is in a peculiar position. On the one hand, the self spends more time with itself than it does with any other person in the world. On the other hand, the self has basic needs (e.g., to feel positive about itself, to build connections with others) that necessarily color how it thinks of itself. This work examines how people come to understand themselves and operate as agentic and motivated beings in the world. 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Do People Know How Others View Them? Two Approaches for Identifying The Accuracy of Metaperceptions
Donnelly, K., Moon, A., & Critcher, C. R. (2022). Do people know how others view them? Two approaches for identifying the accuracy of metaperceptions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 43, 119-124.

The Vicarious Construal Effect: Seeing And Experiencing The World Through Different Eyes
Jung, M. H., Gonzalez, F. J., & Critcher, C. R. (2020). The vicarious construal effect: Seeing and experiencing the world through different eyes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 118, 617-638.

The Overblown Implications Effect
Moon, A., Gan, M., & Critcher, C. R. (2020). The overblown implications effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 118, 720-742.

“Whether I like it or not, it’s important”: Implicit Importance of Means Predicts Self-Regulatory Persistence And Success
Critcher, C. R., & Ferguson, M. J. (2016). “Whether I like it or not, it’s important”: Implicit importance of means predicts self-regulatory persistence and success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 110, 818-839.

Self-Affirmations Provide A Broader Perspective on Self-Threat
Critcher, C. R., & Dunning, D. (2015). Self-affirmations provide a broader perspective on self-threat. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41, 3-18.

Causal Trait Theories: A New Form of Person Knowledge That Explains Egocentric Pattern Projection
Critcher, C. R., Dunning, D, & Rom, S. (2015). Causal trait theories: A new form of person knowledge that explains egocentric pattern projection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108, 400-416.

The Cost of Keeping It Hidden: Decomposing Concealment Reveals What Makes It Depleting
Critcher, C. R., & Ferguson, M. J. (2014). The cost of keeping it hidden: Decomposing concealment reveals what makes it depleting. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 143, 721-735.

Affect in The Abstract: Abstract Mindsets Promote Sensitivity to Affect
Critcher, C. R., & Ferguson, M. J. (2011). Affect in the abstract: Abstract mindsets promote sensitivity to affect. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 1185-1191.

Self-Enhancement via Redefinition: Defining Social Concepts To Ensure Positive Views of Self
Critcher, C. R., Helzer, E. G., & Dunning, D. (2011). Self-Enhancement via redefinition:  Defining social concepts to ensure positive views of self. In M. D. Alicke, & C. Sedikides (Eds.), Handbook of self-enhancement and self-protection (pp. 69-91). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

When Self-Affirmations Reduce Defensiveness: Timing Is Key
Critcher, C. R., Dunning, D, & Armor, D. A. (2010). When self-affirmations reduce defensiveness: Timing is key. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36, 947-959. 

How Chronic Self-Views Influence (And Mislead) Self-Assessments of Task Performance: Self-Views Shape Bottom-Up Experiences with The Task
Critcher, C. R., & Dunning, D. (2009). How chronic self-views influence (and mislead) self-assessments of task performance: Self-views shape bottom-up experiences with the task. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97(6), 931–945.