The Construction of the Self, First Edition: Developmental and Sociocultural Foundations

Drawing upon extensive theoretical knowledge and decades of empirical research by the author and others, this volume traces changes in the structure and content of self-representations from the preschool years through late adolescence. Harter provides a trenchant analysis of the cognitive and social processes responsible for the development of each person's unique sense of self. Throughout, normative-developmental and individual difference variables are clearly identified and clinical applications spotlighted. This authoritative work will be read with interest by scholars, clinicians, and students interested in understanding the causes and consequences of low self-esteem, or in designing interventions to promote more adaptive self-evaluations.

Table of Contents:
Contemporary Issues and Historical Perspectives. The Normative Development of Self-representations during Childhood. The Normative Development of Self-representations during Adolescence. The Developmental Emergence of Self-conscious Emotions. The Content, Valence, and Organization of Self-evaluative Judgments. Discrepancies between Real and Ideal Self-concepts. Social Sources of Individual Differences in Self-evaluation. A Model of the Causes, Correlates, and Consequences of Global Self-worth. The Authenticity of the Self. The Effects of Child Abuse on I-self and Me-self Processes. Autonomy and Connectedness as Dimensions of the Self. Interventions to Promote Adaptive Self-evaluations.

About the Author :
Susan Harter, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Head of the Developmental Psychology Program at the University of Denver. Her research, supported by funds from NIH for over 20 years, has resulted in the construction of a lifespan battery of self-report instruments to tap dimensions of the self-concept. These instruments are currently in use throughout the United States and internationally. In addition, she has received two major faculty awards, University Lecturer of the Year and the John Evans Professorship Award, the highest award to be bestowed upon a faculty member. Both awards are for national and international recognition in one's chosen field of research. Dr. Harter has written numerous journal articles and chapters, including chapters on self-concept, self-esteem, as well as motivational and emotional development in the 1983 and 1998 Handbook of Child Psychology. She has also served on National Institute of Mental Health study sections, chaired the Cognition, Emotion, and Personality Committee, and currently is on the Editorial Boards of a number of journals, including Developmenal Psychology, Child Development, Psychological Bulletin, Development and Psychopathology, and American Educational Research Journal.

Review :
'[This] book will serve as the first reference source for developmental research on the self for years to come ... A wide-ranging review of research and theory on the self, with numerous connections made among different paradigms. Particularly valuable as illustrations of the potential value of these connections are Harter's discussions of clinical cases and pathological phenomena.' - Contemporary Psychology 'This book will surely become a classic in the field. Dr. Harter brings her extensive theoretical and empirical knowledge of the self to bear in this important volume. Her integration of theory and research, along with attention to the practical implications of this work, will make this book a valuable addition to the libraries of academicians as well as practitioners. I highly recommend it for use as a graduate text in clinical, developmental, and social psychology, as well as for advanced seminars in psychiatry and related disciplines.' - Dante Cicchetti 'The book's coverage of such topics as the authenticity of the self and the effects of child abuse on the self has significant implications for clinical work and intervention, as well as theory. Sophisticated yet accessible, this book is 'must' reading for scholars of the self and clinicians, and an outstanding resource for advanced classes on the topic.' - Nancy Eisenberg '[This] book will serve as the first reference source for developmental research on the self for years to come ... A wide-ranging review of research and theory on the self, with numerous connections made among different paradigms. Particularly valuable as illustrations of the potential value of these connections are Harter's discussions of clinical cases and pathological phenomena.'-Contemporary Psychology 'This book will surely become a classic in the field. Dr. Harter brings her extensive theoretical and empirical knowledge of the self to bear in this important volume. Her integration of theory and research, along with attention to the practical implications of this work, will make this book a valuable addition to the libraries of academicians as well as practitioners. I highly recommend it for use as a graduate text in clinical, developmental, and social psychology, as well as for advanced seminars in psychiatry and related disciplines.'-Dante Cicchetti, PhD