The issue of psychological security within an increasingly unstable, interconnected world has become a defining challenge of modern individual and cultural life. The terror attacks of September 11, 2001 and the global financial crisis that unfolded in 2008 have intensified a sense of global and personal insecurity. This concern with psychological insecurity is reflected in contemporary culture, politics, the business world, consumer behavior, the arts, and other areas. Within this context, the psychological sciences have kept pace, vigorously investigating these issues. This handbook features the latest theory and research examining cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to security threats. It expands the conceptual focus from specific security threats to the broader range of antecedents, processes, and consequences of psychological security/insecurity. The chapters are organized into four content areas: personal security in individual contexts, personal security in interpersonal contexts, personal security with cultural and health contexts, and interdisciplinary analyses of personal security. They represent a new and vibrant area of research unified by the common goal of understanding the factors that shape a sense of personal security. Together, these provocative chapters provide specific starting points that will shape future theory, policy, and practice on this dominant social issue of the 21st Century and, more importantly, offer opportunities to connect social and personality psychology to its scientific kin.

The issue of psychological security within an increasingly unstable, interconnected world has become a defining challenge of modern individual and cultural life. The terror attacks of September 11, 2001 and the global financial crisis that unfolded in 2008 have intensified a sense of global and personal insecurity. This concern with psychological insecurity is reflected in contemporary culture, politics, the business world, consumer behavior, the arts, and other areas. Within this context, the psychological sciences have kept pace, vigorously investigating these issues. This handbook features the latest theory and research examining cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to security threats. It expands the conceptual focus from specific security threats to the broader range of antecedents, processes, and consequences of psychological security/insecurity. The chapters are organized into four content areas: personal security in individual contexts, personal security in interpersonal contexts, personal security with cultural and health contexts, and interdisciplinary analyses of personal security. They represent a new and vibrant area of research unified by the common goal of understanding the factors that shape a sense of personal security. Together, these provocative chapters provide specific starting points that will shape future theory, policy, and practice on this dominant social issue of the 21st Century and, more importantly, offer opportunities to connect social and personality psychology to its scientific kin.

This Handbook explores the cognitive, motivational, interpersonal, clinical, and applied aspects of personal uncertainty. It showcases both the diversity and the unity that defines contemporary perspectives on uncertainty in self within social and personality psychology. The contributions to the volume are all written by distinguished scholars in personality, social psychology, and clinical psychology united by their common focus on the causes and consequences of self-uncertainty. Chapters explore the similarities and differences between personal uncertainty and other psychological experiences in terms of their nature and relationship with human thought, emotion, motivation, and behavior. Specific challenges posed by personal uncertainty and the coping strategies people develop in their daily life are identified. There is an assessment of the potential negative and positive repercussions of coping with the specific experience of self-uncertainty, including academic, health, and relationship outcomes. Throughout, strategies specifically designed to assist others in confronting the unique challenges posed by self-uncertainty in ways that emphasize healthy psychological functioning and growth are promoted. In addition, the contributions to the Handbook touch on the psychological, social, and cultural context of the new millennium, including concepts such as Friedman's "flat world," confidence, the absence of doubt in world leaders, the threat of terrorism since 9/11, the arts, doubt and religious belief, and views of doubt as the universal condition of humankind. The Handbook is an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, and senior undergraduate and graduate students in social and personality psychology, clinical and counseling psychology, educational psychology, and developmental psychology.

This Handbook explores the cognitive, motivational, interpersonal, clinical, and applied aspects of personal uncertainty. It showcases both the diversity and the unity that defines contemporary perspectives on uncertainty in self within social and personality psychology. The contributions to the volume are all written by distinguished scholars in personality, social psychology, and clinical psychology united by their common focus on the causes and consequences of self-uncertainty.

Chapters explore the similarities and differences between personal uncertainty and other psychological experiences in terms of their nature and relationship with human thought, emotion, motivation, and behavior. Specific challenges posed by personal uncertainty and the coping strategies people develop in their daily life are identified. There is an assessment of the potential negative and positive repercussions of coping with the specific experience of self-uncertainty, including academic, health, and relationship outcomes. Throughout, strategies specifically designed to assist others in confronting the unique challenges posed by self-uncertainty in ways that emphasize healthy psychological functioning and growth are promoted.

In addition, the contributions to the Handbook touch on the psychological, social, and cultural context of the new millennium, including concepts such as Friedman s "flat world," confidence, the absence of doubt in world leaders, the threat of terrorism since 9/11, the arts, doubt and religious belief, and views of doubt as the universal condition of humankind.

The Handbook is an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, and senior undergraduate and graduate students in social and personality psychology, clinical and counseling psychology, educational psychology, and developmental psychology.