1. Research on the self has increased substantially in the past 30 years.

PsychInfo articles on the self in relation to the total number of social psychology articles, 1970-1998. (Source: Tesser, 2000) More recently, research has stabilized at high levels.

2. Components of the self (Baumeister)

A. Body
B. Social identity
C. Active agent

3. Historical context of the self construct (Group discussion)

A. Summarize how the concept of the self has changed in Western societies over the past several hundred years (Baumeister).

B. What are the primary themes of Bertman's article, "Warp Speed"?

C. How might Bertman explain Twenge et al.'s findings about trends in locus of control?

D. What are the implications of the Bertman article and Twenge et al. results for clinical psychology?

F. "There is more to life than increasing its speed."--Gandhi. When should practical actions be taken to reduce the pace of one's life?

G. What are the implications of the Levy et al. findings for public health?

4. Two primary motivations that drive much of human social behavior

A. Example 1: The Barnum effect
B. Example 2: Initiation rites
C. These two motivations lead to positive illusions about the self.