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Flow is a psychological state people experience when performing highly challenging tasks with a high degree of skill. It is related to happiness, creativity, and productivity. In three experiments, we developed a manipulation of flow and assessed its effects on subsequent defensive behavior. In all three experiments, participants who played a game with more features of flow (e.g. engagement, match of challenge and skill, performance feedback) reported more feelings of flow (e.g. enjoyment, concentration and interest) and less downstream defensiveness. The results suggest that we developed a flexible, reliable manipulation of flow, and that inducing people to experience flow may reduce their subsequent defensive behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we review the basic assumptions and findings of terror management theory. Then we discuss some problems with those assumptions and findings. We note, for example, that the theory is not falsifiable, that theorists have not done a good job of integrating conflicting empirical findings, and that attempts to explain all of human behaviour in terms of a single core motive have been counterproductive. Then we briefly discuss other theoretical explanations of the relations between threat and culture. Finally we make recommendations for what theorists and researchers can do to advance thinking in this area. The goal of the article is to stimulate a new generation of theory and research not based on the assumption that there is a single, core motive that can be used to address all of the relations among threat and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article comments on the concern that, although social psychology has had little trouble producing wisdom, it could do a better job of disseminating that wisdom. The various findings discussed by the contributors were synthesized into five general categories. Some reasons these categories of knowledge have not become a part of folk knowledge the way findings from other areas of psychology have are examined. Finally, some suggestions are offered as to what the field might do to become more successful in disseminating its wisdom.

Presents several commentaries related to psychology. Pros and cons of the affect infusion model; Influence of affect on interpersonal processes; Emphasis on the scope and promise of current emotion research.

ABSTRACT. People differ with respect to their beliefs about the consequences of attaining goals. Some people (linkers) believe that attaining certain goals will make them happy, whereas others (nonlinkers) see their happiness as more contingent upon the inherent quality of their actions than upon the outcomes of those actions. Because of the importance linkers place on goal attainment, linkers should be likely to seek information indicative of their progress toward their goals. Because of the importance nonlinkers place on enjoyment, nonlinkers should be likely to seek information indicative of the pleasurableness of their current task. Because negative affect can signal a lack of goal progress, whereas positive affect can signal task enjoyment, linkers may place more weight on their negative than their positive affect, whereas nonlinkers may do the opposite. Consistent with these hypotheses, the results of this study showed that linkers reported more negative affect when exposed to sad videos than when exposed to happy videos but did not report different amounts of positive affect. Nonlinkers, on the other hand, reported more positive affect when exposed to happy videos than when exposed to sad videos but did not report different amounts of negative affect. The implications of this pattern for a number of theoretical perspectives on goals and affect are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the stance of the social constraints and the hedonism-based models of mood regulation on central issues. Extent of individual motivation by hedonism; Mood valence's synonymy with motivational implications; Distinction between actuarial frequency and process primacy; Standard mood operation in a discrepancy-reducing loop.

Clarifies the nature of immediate-return needs and its relation between I-D compensation theory in psychology. Impact of terror management in social psychology; Explanation about social motives; Conclusion.

According to I-D compensation theory, the occurrence of several social psychological phenomena (e.g., ego-defense, terror management) is moderated by the status of a person's relationship with the environment. More specifically, the theory proposes that individuals function optimally when they receive frequent feedback that they are progressing toward their goals and that their efforts will pay off. When individuals do not receive this feedback, they increase their reliance on mental processes such as simulation and problem solving. Although reliance on these processes may help individuals return to progress toward their goals, it also makes individuals especially vulnerable to the effects of various social psychological motives (e.g., ego-defense, terror management). From this perspective, certain phenomena thought to reflect basic motivations may actually be the product of context-dependent person-environment interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No one can expect economic education to be a panacea for the nation's problems--even its economic problems. But why dispose of this matter on an all-or-nothing basis? In the more-or-less terms of marginalism, which is so prominent in economic theory, isn't "more" desirable? For many of us, more and better economic education would be preferable. Economists agree on the content of microeconomics even though they may differ in their teaching methods. Some measurement of cost and benefit for economic education is desirable, with allowance for the feasible alternatives. Education is essentially a private good; citizenship is public. In addition, however, to the private benefits which it confers, education provides spillover benefits to society. Measurement of the benefits of education, therefore, will be understated unless both private and public effects are included. It is not rational for every member of the public to have exhaustive knowledge of every government activity, but knowledge of elementary economic principles can facilitate understanding of economic policy. Despite the benefit most people can derive from knowledge of the less obvious aspects of economic phenomena, they do seem to understand their economic interests in the short run without formal tutoring. An important objective, therefore, of economic education may be to stimulate people more often to consider the long run and the greater likelihood of mutuality than of conflict of interest, when issues are examined from that point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considers social psychology studies published in the U.S. from 1969 to 1980. Influence on the identity of the field of social psychology research; Process of producing studies published since 1980.

Profiles life and works of professor Richard S. Lazarus. Contribution of Lazarus in the field of psychology; Background and experience of Lazarus; Approach of Lazarus towards life.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one on terror management theory and another on dual-existential systems.

The article examines the question on whether social psychology can impart any wisdom to the world. To begin answering the question, eight social psychologists from different theoretical orientations were invited to discuss three to five findings from social psychology that could provide the world with the most wisdom. In particular, the social psychologists were asked to discuss findings that could possibly allow people to live their lives better, that would allow society to function better, or that may simply allow people to make the better sense of the actions of others.