This volume is about understanding the 'self' from a scientific perspective. The self is a well-established research area in a variety of disciplines including clinical psychology, communication, developmental psychology, social psychology and sociology. This book pulls together, in one place, comprehensive and interesting descriptions of some of the most stimulating, newly emerging research programs on the self. Each chapter, by a leading authority in the field, describes a unique research program, based on solid empirical research. Contributing authors include a mix between established names and emerging researchers whose mark on the field will grow in years to come.

Although the two major research areas of the 'Self' and 'Social Relationships' have flourished, they have done so largely independently of each other. More and more research, however, has indicated that relationships shape the nature of the self and identity, and that self-views influence interpersonal processes and the manner in which people navigate their close relationships. The integration of research on self and social relationships has proved a particularly rich one, generating some of the most creative and insightful theories in psychology. The Self and Social Relationships is the first volume that marks, expedites, and defines this exciting new research synthesis. It serves both as a platform for authors to present their latest ideas on the topic, and to encourage continued integration in this emerging field. The contributions represent a diverse set of perspectives from social personality, and clinical psychology. Each chapter covers a topic that is central to the study of self and relationships, and presents some of the most exciting research programs in the field. This volume is essential reading for researchers and students in the areas of both self and relationships.