Chapter 13 Further Reading

Foundational Theory

Leary, M. R., & Baumeister, R. F. (2000). The nature and function of self-esteem: Sociometer theory. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 32, 1–62. The most comprehensive theoretical statement of sociometer theory. Leary and Baumeister lay out the full argument, respond to critics, and connect the theory to a wide range of empirical findings. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what self-esteem is actually doing in social behavior. More accessible than the original 1995 paper and covers more ground.

Aron, A., Aron, E. N., & Norman, C. (2001). Self-expansion model of motivation and cognition in close relationships and beyond. In G. J. O. Fletcher & M. S. Clark (Eds.), Blackwell Handbook of Social Psychology: Interpersonal Processes (pp. 478–501). A clear and comprehensive overview of the self-expansion model, including its application to attraction, relationship maintenance, and relationship decline. The discussion of self-expansion as a mechanism in early attraction is particularly relevant to the chapter.

Self-Esteem in Relationships

Murray, S. L. (2005). Regulating the risks of closeness: A relationship-specific sense of felt security. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(2), 74–78. A brief, accessible synthesis of Murray's risk regulation research. Explains how low self-esteem produces defensive behaviors in close relationships through the mechanism of underestimating partner regard. Excellent entry point to a large body of research.

Kernis, M. H. (Ed.). (2006). Self-esteem issues and answers: A sourcebook of current perspectives. Psychology Press. A comprehensive edited volume covering virtually every major question in contemporary self-esteem research, including the stability/fragility dimension, contingent self-esteem, and applications to relationships. Good reference for students wanting to go deeper on any specific aspect of self-esteem research.

Social Media and Desirability

Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., & Eckles, K. (2014). Social comparison, social media, and self-evaluation. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(4), 206–222. An important early study examining how exposure to attractive social media profiles affects self-evaluation. Introduces the distinction between upward and downward comparison in social media contexts and examines when each produces self-esteem costs vs. benefits. Methodologically stronger than many studies in this area.

Twenge, J. M. (2017). iGen: Why today's super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious, more tolerant, less happy — and completely unprepared for adulthood. Atria Books. Twenge's controversial but extensively researched book documents generational shifts in mental health, self-esteem, and social behavior correlated with smartphone and social media adoption. Read alongside the methodological critiques — particularly Orben & Przybylski's response — for a balanced picture. The chapters on self-esteem and appearance are particularly relevant here.

Race and Romantic Desirability

Yoon, E. (2012). Racial identity and racial discrimination in dating: Dating market stigma among Korean-American youth. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 59(4), 602–611. The paper that introduces and defines "dating market stigma" as a concept. Yoon's qualitative work with Korean-American participants provides rich accounts of the experience of racial devaluation in dating contexts and the coping strategies it generates. Recommended for students who want a grounded empirical account of how racial hierarchy operates at the intimate level.

Robinson, R. K. (2008). Structural dimensions of romantic preferences. Fordham Law Review, 76(6), 2787–2819. A legally oriented but conceptually rich essay analyzing racial preferences in romantic markets. Robinson considers whether such preferences are "just preferences" or structurally produced inequities with civil rights implications. A challenging read that productively unsettles comfortable assumptions about individual choice in romantic contexts.

Body Image and Desirability

Cash, T. F., & Pruzinsky, T. (Eds.). (2002). Body image: A handbook of theory, research, and clinical practice. Guilford Press. The standard reference in body image research. Covers the construct's measurement, its predictors, and its consequences across health, sexuality, and social behavior domains. The chapters on romantic relationships and social functioning are directly relevant to this chapter's discussion.