Mark R Leary, Professor

Research Summary:
At the most general level, my interests are in social and personality psychology, centering around topics involving self-awareness, interpersonal motivation and emotion, and interfaces of social and clinical psychology. I have been particularly interested in how people's behavior and emotion are affected by (a) their concerns about others' impressions, evaluations, and acceptance of them and (b) the ways in which they talk to themselves in their own minds. In the first vein, we have been investigating the fundamental human need for acceptance and belonging, how people go about seeking acceptance, and the emotional and interpersonal consequences of feeling inadequately accepted. In the second vein, we are studying the negative effects of excessive ego-involvement on emotion, performance, and interpersonal behavior, and the efficacy of hypo-egoic states in which people's egos exert minimal influence on their thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

Representative Publications:   (More Publications)

1. Leary. M. R. & Tate, E. B. (2007). The multifaceted nature of mindfulness. Psychological Inquiry, 18, 251-255.
2. Leary, M. R. "A functional, evolutionary analysis of the impact of interpersonal events on intrapersonal self-processes." Self and Relationships. Ed. K. D. Vohs & E. J. Finkel Guilford, 2007: 219-236.
3. Leary, M. R. (2007). Sociometer theory and the pursuit of relational value: Getting to the root of self-esteem. European Review of Social Psychology, 16, 75-111.
4. Leary, M. R. (2007). Introduction to Behavioral Research Methods, 5th edition.. Allyn & Bacon.
5. Leary, M. R (2007). Motivational and emotional aspects of the self. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 317-344.