Most Underappreciated

Fifty of today's most prominent social psychologists describe their scholarship, focusing on the human and personal side of the "life of the mind." Each author spotlights his or her least appreciated work, and discusses theory, methods, findings, or application. The contributors also use this opportunity to provide the context behind their work.
Some authors describe their mentors, the influential figures who led them to certain areas of research. Others offer advice to young researchers who are just entering the field and who can learn from their predecessors' mistakes and miscalculations. These contributors address issues like how to prepare for, and make the most of, a professorship in a liberal arts college context, and how to frame a research question, title an article, handle a controversy, pursue a passion, devise a method, think about a meta-analysis, and write persuasively. Still others discuss what makes their research important to them and to the field, describing the impact of their work on their own future research agendas.
In fifty engaging and succinct essays, these eminent psychologists pull back the curtain on their professional lives. Their stories are personal and touch on relationships, passion for ideas, and the emotional highs and lows of academic life. This book is a truly unique glimpse behind scenes of social psychology and the people who have advanced the field.

Bob Arkin is Professor of Psychology in the Social Psychology program at The Ohio State University. He moved to Ohio State (to become Undergraduate Dean) from the University of Missouri, Columbia, where he was Assistant, Associate, and then Full Professor, and held the Middlebush Chair in Psychology. Arkin has been Associate Editor of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

1: Chapter 1. Big Science, Big Theory, Big Ideas
Most Cited, Least Read? Walter Mischel
Appreciated, But Misunderstood Marilynn B. Brewer
Undeserved Recognition Mahzarin R. Banaji
Is There A Divorce In Your Genes? Ellen Berscheid
A Life Changing Paper? That Depends On Your Interpretation Todd F. Heatherton
Saga Of My Stealth Bomber Chapter: Can't Miss, But Vanished Without A Trace Philip G. Zimbardo
From Egosystem To Ecosystem Jennifer Crocker
Publish And Perish Bernard Weiner
A Catastrophe In My Research Portfolio Abraham Tesser
I Want To Be A Social Psychologist Dan P. Mcadams
But What About That Gigantic Elephant In The Room? Albert Bandura
2: Chapter 2. Middle Range Theories
Adventures In Rejectionland John Darley
Thrilling Thoughts: How Changing Your Mind Intensifies Your Emotions Gerald L. Clore
A Fundamental Conceptual Distinction...Gone Unnoticed Russell H. Fazio
Communal Relationships Can Be Selfish And Give Rise To Exploitation Margaret S. Clark
Take Me Out To The Ballgam Timothy D. Wilson
Timing Is Everything...At Least For Citation Impact Miles Hewstone
Motivational When Motivational Wasn't Cool Rex A. Wright
Does Impression Management Have An Image Problem? Mark R. Leary
Dynamic Complexity Theory: Eclipsed By A Revolution Delroy L. Paulhus
3: Chapter 3. Methods and Innovations
Littering As An Unobtrusive Measure Of Political Attitudes: Messy But Clean Robert B. Cialdini
Imagined And Genuine Opposition To New Ideas On Sexuality Roy F. Baumeister
A New Method For Theory Testing In Social Psychology: The Case Of Dissonance Norman Miller and Barry E. Collins
HARK!...A Herald Sings....But Who's Listening Norbert L. Kerr
Everything Gets Better With Age Paula M. Niedenthal
Episodes In The Mind: Or, Beware When The Paradigm Shifts...! Joseph P. Forgas
Kiss My "TASS" Jonathon D. Brown
The Slow, Halting Appreciation Of Close Relationships Research John H. Harvey
Is Attitude Research Incompatible With The Compatibility Principle? Icek Ajzen
Change We Cannot Believe In David A. Kenny
Imputing Values To Missing Information In Social Judgment Ramadhar Singh
4: Chapter 4. Phenomena and Findings
Whatever Happened To Schema-Triggered Affect? Susan T. Fiske
Priming Creative Behavior: Priming How Things Work Rather Than What Things Are E. Tory Higgins
What's In A Title?: How A Decent Idea May Have Gone Bad Joel Cooper
The Bearable Lightness Of Impact Tom Gilovich
I Can't Explain Judith Harackiewicz
Most Under-Appreciated...By Me! Mark Snyder
It Takes More Than Two To Tango: The Importance Of Identifying And Addressing Your Audience John F. Dovidio
My Rather Unknown Piece About "Unknown Unknowns" And Their Role In Self-Insight David Dunning
Reality Lives!: Redeeming An Apparently Unfulfilled Prophecy Michael Harris Bond
Bet You Didn't Know I Did A Dissonance Study Dan Batson
Is That All There Is?: Reaction To The That's Not All Procedure Jerry M. Burger
My Brief Career In Modeling Charles S. Carver
The Diversity Of Social Support And Outgroup Homogeneity: Some Bad Luck And A Lot Of Good Fortune George R. Goethals
Thirty Years Of Contrast In Social Comparison Ladd Wheeler
The Causal Structure Of Person Types And Stereotypes Constantine Sedikides
Your First Word Will Be Your Last Word If It Is Your Only Word David A. Schroeder
5: Chapter 5. Application: Making Science Useful
"Risky Business": On The Adventures Of Simultaneously Manipulating Sexual Arousal And Intoxication Mark P. Zanna
Unsung Melodies Carol S. Dweck
A Miscitation Classic Alice H. Eagly
Emotional Intelligence Peter Salovey
Hidden Gems About Justice Research: The Psychology Of Punitiveness Tom R. Tyler
The "Messenger Effect" In Persuasion Saul M. Kassin
The Idea, The Audience, And Me James W. Pennebaker
Unfinished Business: Activating Change Jerald Jellison