The second edition of this handbook explores the social, 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. Featuring chapters written by distinguished scholars from a range of disciplines in psychology, this book explores 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. It takes an interactionist perspective to examine what social and personality psychology knows about the experience of self‑uncertainty in its various forms, exploring its determinants and consequences within and across individuals and groups. The new edition has been extensively revised and updated and includes new material on self‑uncertainty within intimate relationships, in groups, and within spiritual and educational contexts. There is also new content on conspiratorial thinking as well as on the uncertain self within the broader context of uncertainty associated with the COVID‑19 pandemic. 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. Featuring cutting‑edge theory and research on the determinants, experiences, and consequences of uncertainty in the self, 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.

Table of Contents:
About the editors List of contributors Preface INTRODUCTION Chapter 1: Introduction Kim Rios, Kathryn C. Oleson, and Patrick J. Carroll PART I. META-COGNITION & UNCERTAINTY IN SELF Chapter 2: Multiple Effects of Discarding Thoughts through Invalidation: Attenuation, Elimination, Reversals, and Compensation Pablo Briñol and Richard Petty Chapter 3: The Case of Confidence in Eyewitness Testimony Kyros Shen, Allan Lam, & John Wixted Chapter 4: Be Careful What You Wish For: The Dark Side of Freedom Nate Cheek and Barry Schwartz Chapter 5: Antecedents and Consequences of Identity: A Meta-Cognitive Model Borja Paredes, Pablo Briñol, and Richard Petty Chapter 6: Self-Uncertainty as Cause and Consequence of Possible Self-Revision Patrick J. Carroll, Radhika Kothari, and Rease Haley Chapter 7: The Social Psychology of Fairness and the Regulation of Personal Uncertainty: Implications for Understanding the Role of Trust in Society Kees van den Bos and E. Allan Lind Chapter 8: An Antidote to Self-Uncertainty: Nostalgia Prevents Self-Uncertainty from Lowering Self-Continuity Constantine Sedikides, Marios Biskas, Jacob Juhl, and Tim Wildschut Chapter 9: Jumping to Conclusions Carmen Sanchez, Steffen Moritz, and David Dunning Chapter 10: Inauthentic or Merely Uncertain: When do People Tolerate Situations of Identity Misfit? Yingchi Guo and Toni Schmader PART II: MOTIVATION and UNCERTAINTY IN SELF Chapter 11: Why is Existential Uncertainty Distressing and Persistent? A Terror Management Perspective Mark Landau, Young Ju Ryu Jeff Greenberg, Marcus Chur, and Tom Pyszczynski Chapter 12: The Integrated Causal Uncertainty Model Jae-Eun Namkoong, Marlone Henderson, and Stephanie Tobin Chapter 13: Toward Love or Hate and Meaning Either Way: From Anxious Uncertainty to Proactive or Reactive Approach Motivation Ian McGregor and Denise C. Marigold Chapter 14: Prototypicality Threat and Self-uncertainty Motivate Group Behavior Olivia Kuljian and Zachary Hohman Chapter 15: The Uncertainty Surrounding Ostracism: A Systematic Review and Future Directions Zhansheng Chen, Fiona Yunqian Tian, Andrew Hales, and Kipling Williams Chapter 16: Certainty through Social Connection? Protecting the Self in an Uncertain Social World Sandra Murray PART III: CLINICAL and APPLIED IMPLICATIONS OF THE UNCERTAIN SELF Chapter 17: Social Identity Uncertainty and COVID-19 Erica Molinario, Molly Ellenberg, and Laura Prislie Chapter 18: When Political and Religious Belief Systems Conflict Kimberly Rios and Alexis Morales Chapter 19: Managing Acute Uncertainty Kate Sweeny and Jennifer Howell Chapter 20: The Unsettled Questions of Belonging Uncertainty Shannon Brady, Gregg Muragishi, and Rebecca Getu Chapter 21: Doubt as a Form of Spiritual Struggle Julie Exline, Yehudis Keller, Andrew C. Moffitt, and Kenneth I. Pargament General Commentary Chapter 22: Michael Hogg