If I Only Had a Membrane: A Review of Amoebic Self Theory

Burris, Christopher T.; Rempel, John K.

doi:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00291.x

Cited by 17 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The results underscore the importance of treating threat not as a single scientific construct but instead as a category of psychologically distinct constructs, each with potentially unique implications. This perspective fits with that of Amoebic Self Theory (Burris & Rempel, 2010) and has also proven productive in research on the psychology of prejudice: different threats predict psychologically distinct forms of prejudice (Cottrell & Neuberg, 2005;Neuberg et al, 2011). More generally, different forms of threat may produce psychologically distinct effects on many phenomena pertaining to social cognition and social behavior.…”

Section: Implications and Future Directionssupporting

confidence: 66%

Threat(s) and conformity deconstructed: Perceived threat of infectious disease and its implications for conformist attitudes and behavior

Murray

Schaller

2011

Euro J Social Psych

225

210

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Threat has been linked to conformity, but little is known about the specific effects of different kinds of threat. We test the hypothesis that perceived threat of infectious disease exerts a unique influence on conformist attitudes and behavior. Correlational and experimental results support the hypothesis. Individual differences in Perceived Vulnerability to Disease predict conformist attitudes; these effects persist when controlling for individual differences in the Belief in a Dangerous World. Experimentally manipulated salience of disease threat produced stronger conformist attitudes and behavior, compared with control conditions (including a condition in which disease-irrelevant threats were salient). Additional results suggest that these effects may be especially pronounced in specific domains of normative behavior that are especially pertinent to pathogen transmission. These results have implications for understanding the antecedents of conformity, the psychology of threat, and the social consequences of infectious disease.

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Section: Implications and Future Directionssupporting

confidence: 66%

Threat(s) and conformity deconstructed: Perceived threat of infectious disease and its implications for conformist attitudes and behavior

Murray

Schaller

2011

Euro J Social Psych

225

210

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“…While not dismissing the substantial body of research supporting this perspective, we suggested that self-expansion motivation does not necessitate taking others' well-being into account-and therefore can be predominantly self-focused, releasing a cascade of potential negative implications for others. Framed in the context of AST (e.g., Burris & Rempel, 2010), we proposed that such a self-serving engulfment motive could manifest across three conceptually distinct domains of the self: the bodily, the social (interpersonal), and the (spatial)-symbolic. We developed an individual difference measure of the strength of self-serving engulfment motivation across each domain.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We suggest that this darker alternative to bilateral inclusion, or social engulfment, is typified by unilateral, self-serving inclusion wherein the self is motivated to benefit from the other (whether intimate partner or stranger) while barring reciprocal access. Burris and Rempel (2010) suggested that "the human capacity to impart meaning to objects and experiences and appropriate them as symbols also enables expansion of the sense of self beyond the body" (pp. 758-759).…”

Section: Social Engulfmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Burris

Rempel

Munteanu

et al. 2013

Pers Soc Psychol Bull

Self Cite

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Self-expansion without regard for others' well-being may represent the dark side of an otherwise healthy motive. Guided by Amoebic Self-Theory (AST), we developed the Engulfing Self Scale (ESS) to measure acquisitive tendencies across AST's three domains of the self. Four studies revealed that bodily engulfment appeared generally benign, and that the problematic aspects of social engulfment were generally restricted to interpersonal contexts. Spatial-symbolic engulfment motivation was linked to a breadth of problematic indices such as psychopathy, Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychological entitlement, social dominance orientation, economic system justification, greed, and valuation of power. It also predicted reluctance to expose a cheating group leader when doing so would threaten one's own positive outcomes, greater justification of a looter's behavior when prompted take his or her perspective, and greater justification of self-serving reward allocations after defeating an ostensible competitor. Spatial-symbolic engulfment may be a motivational fountainhead for behaviors that negate others' well-being.

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“…People often describe their self‐concept metaphorically as a physical entity with a core‐like center and an external shell (e.g., “This is who I am on the inside , beneath the surface ”; Landau et al, ). The deeper a concept (e.g., belief) or external entity (e.g., romantic partner) is brought into this core, the more it is considered a part of one's “true self” (Burris & Rempel, , ; Landau et al, ). Because pictorial measures capitalize on this metaphorical description of the self, they are thought to better capture the fusion experience.…”

Section: Measuring Fusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…People often become fused with physical objects that are aptly called “possessions” (e.g., clothing, jewelry, and family heirlooms). These objects may have been created through our labor, or we may have acquired them (Belk, ; Burris & Rempel, ; Csikszentmihályi & Rochberg‐Halton, ; Locke, /2009; Prelinger, ). At times, these possessions are used to communicate valued aspects of the self to others (i.e., symbolic self‐completion, Gollwitzer, Wicklund, & Hilton, ).…”

Section: What Can Become Fused With the Self‐concept?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Becoming part of me: Examining when objects, thoughts, goals, and people become fused with the self‐concept

Hatvany

Burkley

Curtis

2017

Social & Personality Psych

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Fusion refers to the sense that a construct is integrated into the self-concept. When a person feels fused with a construct, there is a perceived "oneness" with the construct, and as a result, the construct is treated as an extension of the self. This concept of fusion has been explored across a wide range of constructs and within a number of subfields in psychology. The goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive view of the fusion process and to connect these disparate areas of literature underneath a single unifying theme. Specifically, we focus on five constructs that researchers have explored in terms of fusion: objects, thoughts, goals, significant others, and groups. In our review, we discuss the ways that fusion is typically measured and highlight the consequences that occur as a result of such fusion. We conclude by highlighting questions that remain unanswered and suggest potential areas of future development.Fusion refers to the sense that a construct is integrated into the self-concept. Combat veterans are good examples of individuals who fuse with those around them and their roles in combat. Their self-concept changes to include those roles and their comrades-in-arms. This fusion likely serves as a major source of motivation and morale and is likely beneficial to their survival. However, upon returning to civilian life, this fusion can make adjusting difficult. Without these parts of their self-concept, they may feel as if they have lost something of themselves. For other individuals, objects, thoughts, goals, and other people can become a part of their self-concept. This fusion with the self-concept can have a significant impact on their lives.The idea that a construct can become integrated, or fused, with the self-concept is not new to psychology. James (1890, p. 291) was one of the first to point out this integration of outside constructs with the self, stating, "It is clear that between what a man calls me and what he simply calls mine the line is difficult to draw." Similarly, Aron and Aron (1997) suggested that the more one perceives a construct as fused, the more the construct is included within the knowledge structures of the self. This means that when a particular construct is highly fused, it no longer is something the person simply does, wears, or thinks. Rather, it is a part of who they are. Thus, a person low in fusion with running "goes running," but a person high in fusion with running "is a runner." What constructs can become fused within the self-concept? Most obvious are constructs pertaining to our physical body (e.g., skin and fingers; see Allport, 1955;Belk, 1988;Burris & Rempel, 2004;James, 1890;Prelinger, 1959). We perceive parts of our body as pieces of our self. If we lose a finger or a limb, we lose a part of our self, but the overall self is still present. Extensions of the physical body can also be perceived as parts of our self, including our shadows or the warmth produced by our bodies (Horwicz, 1872). But fusion extends far beyond our physical form.In t...

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If I Only Had a Membrane: A Review of Amoebic Self Theory

Cited by 17 publications

References 38 publications

Threat(s) and conformity deconstructed: Perceived threat of infectious disease and its implications for conformist attitudes and behavior

Threat(s) and conformity deconstructed: Perceived threat of infectious disease and its implications for conformist attitudes and behavior

More, More, More

Becoming part of me: Examining when objects, thoughts, goals, and people become fused with the self‐concept

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