Curriculum Vitae William B. Swann, Jr.
October, 2026 Swann@utexas.edu
Office Address and Website:
Department of Psychology
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas 78712
Academic Training
Undergraduate: Gettysburg College, 1970-1974, B.A.
Graduate: University of Minnesota, 1974-1978, Ph.D., Social Psychology
Professional Experience
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology at University of Texas, 1978-1984
Fellow, Department of Psychology at Princeton University, 1984-1985
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology at University of Texas, 1985-1988
Fellow, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, 1988-1989
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology at University of Texas, 1989-1990
Professor, Department of Psychology at University of Texas, 1990-2026
Professor Emeritus, University of Texas at Austin, 2026-present
Research Interests
Identity fusion and extreme pro-group behavior
Identity negotiation
Self-esteem and social interaction
Self-knowledge and self-verification in close relationships
Memberships
American Psychological Society, Fellow
Society of Experimental Social Psychology
Executive committee: 2007-2010,
President, 2010
Society for Personality and Social Psychology
International Society of Self and Identity
Honors, Awards, Impacts
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2026
• Career Contribution Award, Society of Personality and Social Psychology, 2018
• Distinguished Lifetime Career Award, International Society for Self and Identity,
2016
• Gettysburg College, Distinguished Alumni Award, 20242
• Society of Experimental Social Psychology: President, 2010
• University of Queensland award for international collaborative research, 2009
• Outstanding publication in Organizational Behavior, 2003
• William Howard Beasley Professor, University of Texas at Austin, 2000
• Career Awards, National Institute of Mental Health, 1984-1989; 1989-1994
• Fellow, Society of Experimental Social Psychologists
• Fellow, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, 1988-1989.
• Fellow, American Psychological Association, 1990.
• Fellow, American Psychological Society, 1990.
• Citation count (Google scholar): 67,307; H-index = 93
External Research Support
• National Science Foundation
o Self-concept stability and change. $270,000. 2/1994-1/1998.
o Identity fusion and extreme group behavior. $432,836. 9/2011-8/2015.
o Identity fusion and intergroup relations, $407,500. 9/2015-8/2019.
• Army Research Office
o Identity fusion and extreme group behavior, $336,997, 8/2017–8/2021
• National Institute of Mental Health:
o The interpersonal dynamics of self-concept stability. $207,000. June 1,
1985-May 31, 1989
o The interpersonal dynamics of self-concept stability. $376,526. June 1,
1989-May 31, 1993
o Antecedents and consequences of belief certainty. $942,470. January 1,
1999-December 31,2004
• National Institute on Drug Abuse
o Interpersonal processes, identity, and smoking cessation. $358,000,
2/2008-1/2010
• Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation
o Predicting positive and negative extremism: An Individual’s fusion with the
group, $83,000, 2009-2012, Principal investigator: Angel Gomez, UNED
• Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness
o Identity fusion: Nature, antecedents and consequences, September 2012-2015,
$80,000 Principal investigator: Angel Gomez, UNED3
• Economic and Social Research Council
o Ritual, Community, and Conflict, 05/31/2011 – 05/30/2016 GBP 3,184,340,
Principle investigator: Harvey Whitehouse, University of Oxford
• Australian Research Council
o Moral vitalism: understanding the foundations of righteous violence within
everyday secular thought. 01/01/2011 – 12/31/2013, AUD 300,000. Principle
investigator: Brock Bastian
Doctoral Students
• Stephen Read, 1981
• Brett Pelham, 1989
• Al Stein-Seroussi, 1990
• Deborah Fisher, 1990
• J. Gregory Hixon, 1991
• Shawn McNulty, 1992
• Brian Giesler, 1993
• Romin Tafarodi, 1994
• Kate Morris, 1996
• Chris De La Ronde, 1996
• Stephen Blumberg, 1997
• Michael Gill, 1998
• Elizabeth Pinel, 1998
• Jennifer Bosson, 2000
• Jason Rentfrow, 2004
• Conor Seyle, 2007
• Sarah Angulo, 2009
• Christine Chang, 2011
• Tracy Kwang, 2012
• Matt Brooks, 2012
• Michael Buhrmester, 2013
• William Fraser, 2016
• Leah Fredman, 2018
• Sanaz Talaifar, 2020
• Ashwini Ashokkumar, 2021
• Alexi Martel, 2023
• Pelin Cunningham-Erdogdu, 20254
PUBLICATIONS
In press
• Klein, J. W., Bingley, W. J., Hornsey, M. J., & Swann, W. B., (in press). Annual
Review of Psychology. Toward a Unified Theory of Group Connection.
• Klein, J. W., & Swann, W. B., (in press). Dying to Kill: Identity Fusion and
Terrorism. Chapter to appear in The Oxford Handbook of the Psychology of
Terrorism and Terrorist Behavior (Matthew Yalch, Max Taylor, Lisa Brown, Ariel
Merari, & Bruce Bongar, Eds.), Oxford University Press.
• Klein, J. W., & Swann, W. B., (in press) It’s time to ditch the ‘empty-self’ view of
human psychology. Psyche.
2026
• Klein, J. W., & Swann, W. B., (2026). Social psychology’s empty-self metaphor and
the replication crisis. Perspectives on Psychological Science.
2025
• Moniz, P., & Swann, W B., Jr (2025). “The Power of Trump’s Big Lie: Identity
Fusion, Internalizing Misinformation, and Support for Trump.” PS: Political Science
& Politics.
• Buhrmester, M. D., Swann Jr, W. B., McQuinn, B., Everington, A., Hafid, L., &
Whitehouse, H. (2025). Examining Shifts in Group-Based Motivations for Civil
Conflicts in Libya. New England Journal of Public Policy, 37(1), 10.
2024
• Swann, W. B., Klein, J. W., & Gómez, Á. (2024) Comprehensive Identity fusion
theory (CIFT): New insights and a revised theory. In B. Gawronski (Ed.) Advances in
Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 70.
• Kirkland, K. et al., (2024). High economic inequality is linked to greater
moralization. PNAS Nexus.
• Gómez, Á., Vázquez, A., & Swann, W. B. (2024). Feeling Understood Fosters
Identity Fusion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
• Rousis, G., Martel, F. A., Bosson, J.K., & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2024) Behind the
Blackpill: Self-Verification and Identity Fusion Predict Endorsement of Violence
Against Women Among Self-identified Incels. Personality and Social Psychology
Bulletin, 50, 1531–15455
• Martel, F. A., Moniz, P., Ashokkumar, A., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2024). Identity
fusion and support for political authoritarianism: Lessons from the US insurrection of
2021. Political Psychology.
• Rousis, G. & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2024). Buying the Blackpill: Perceived Exclusion and
the Psychology of Incels. Chapter in the volume, Exclusion and Extremism: A
Psychological Perspective.
2023
• Bosson, J. K., & Swann, W. B. Jr., (2023). A truly responsive listener is a self-
verifying listener. Current Opinion in Psychology
• Kowert, R., Martel, F.A., & Swann, W.B. Jr. (2023). You are What you Play: The
Risks of Identity Fusion in Toxic Gamer Cultures. Games: Research and Practice, 1,
1-3.
• Vázquez, A., Gómez, Á., López-Rodríguez, L., & Swann, W. B. (2023). Can identity
fusion foster social harmony? Strongly fused individuals embrace familiar outgroup
members unless threatened. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 107, 104462.
• Tanjitpiyanond, P. et al., ( 2023). A 32-society investigation of how perceived
economic inequality shapes social class stereotyping. European Journal of Social
Psychology.
2022
• Kowert, R., Martel, F.A., & Swann, W.B. Jr. (2022). Not just a game: Identity Fusion
and Extremism in Gaming Cultures. Frontiers
• Kirkland, K. el. al., (2022). Social mindfulness predicts concern for nature and
immigrants across 36 nations. Scientific Reports, 12,
• Ashokkumar, A., & Swann Jr, W. B. (2022). Restoring Honor by Slapping or
Disowning the Daughter. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (2022). The power of firmly-held beliefs: A troubled child,
Schachter’s incredulity, and the roots of extreme behavior. In S. Kassin (Ed.), Pillars
of Social Psychology: Stories and Retrospections. Cambridge, United Kingdom.
• Dejonckheere, et. al., (2022). Perceiving societal pressure to be happy is linked to
poor well-being, especially in happy nations. Scientific reports, 12.6
2021
• Martel, F. A., Buhrmester, M., Gómez, A., Vázquez, A., & Swann Jr, W. (2021) Why
true believers make the ultimate sacrifice: Sacred values, moral convictions, or
identity fusion? Frontiers in Psychology, 12.
• Ashokkumar, A. & Swann, W. B., Jr., (2021). The saboteur within: Self-verification
strivings can make praise toxic. In Brummelman, E. (Ed.) (2020). Psychological
perspectives on praise. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
• Gómez, Á., Martínez, M., Martel, F. A., López-Rodríguez, L., Vázquez, A.,
Chinchilla, J., Paredes, B., Hettiarachchi, M., Hamid, N., & Swann, W. B. (2021).
Why People Enter and Embrace Violent Groups. Frontiers in psychology, 11,
614657. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.614657
• Talaifar, S., Ashokkumar, A., Pennebaker, J., Medrano, F. N., Yeager, D. S., &
Swann, W. B., Jr. (2021). A New Pathway to University Retention? Identity Fusion
with University Predicts Retention Independently of Grades. Social Psychological
and Personali
2020
• Rudnev, M., et al., (2020). Measurement invariance of the moral vitalism scale across
28 cultural groups. PLOS ONE.
• Ashokkumar, A., Talaifar, S., Fraser, W.T., Landabur, R., Buhrmester,
M.D., Gomez, A., Paredes, B., & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2020). Censoring
Political Opposition Online: Who does it and why. Journal of Experimental
Social Psychology.
• Talaifar, S., Buhrmester, M. D., Ayduk, O., & Swann, W. B. Jr. (2020) Asymmetries
in mutual understanding: People with low status, power, and self-esteem understand
better than they are understood. Perspectives on Psychological Science.
• Swann W. (2020) Swann, William B.. In: Zeigler-Hill V., Shackelford T.K. (eds)
Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham.
• Talaifar, S ., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2020). Self-verification theory, Encyclopedia of
Personality and Individual Differences, 4813-4821
2019
• Bastian, B., Vauclair, C. M., Loughnan, S., Bain, P., Ashokkumar, A., Becker, M., …
& Swann, W.B., Jr. (2019). Explaining illness with evil: pathogen prevalence fosters
moral vitalism. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 286(1914), 20191576.7
• Ashokkumar, A. Galaif, M., Swann, W. B., Jr., (2019). Tribalism can corrupt: Why
people denounce or protect immoral group members. Journal of Experimental Social
Psychology.
• Gómez, Á., Vázquez, A., López-Rodríguez, L., Talaifar, S., Martínez, M.,
Buhrmester, M. D., & Swann Jr, W. B. (2019). Why people abandon groups:
Degrading relational vs collective ties uniquely impacts identity fusion and
identification. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 85, 103853.Expe
• Swann, W. B., Jr. & Jetten, J. (2019). Identity fusion ‘in the wild’: Moving toward or
away from a general theory of identity fusion? Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
• Talaifar, S. & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2019). Self and Identity. In Oxford Research
Encyclopedia of Psychology. Ed. Oliver Braddick. New York: Oxford University
Press.
• Talaifar, S. & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2019). Deep Alignment with Country Shrinks the
Moral Gap Between Conservatives and Liberals. Political Psychology, 40, 657-675.
2018
• Vázquez, A, G., Gómez, Á., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2018). You Just Don’t Get Us!
Positive, but Non-Verifying, Evaluations Foster Prejudice and Discrimination. Social
Psychology, 49, 231–242.
• Talaifar, S. & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2018). Identity Fusion: The Union of the Personal
and Social Selves. In P. J. Ivanhoe, O. J. Flanagan, S. Harrison, H. Sarkissian, & E.
Schwitzgebel (Eds.). Oneness in Religion, Philosophy, and Psychology. New York:
Columbia University Press.
• Swann, W. B. & Talaifar, S. (2018). Introduction to Special Issue of Self and Identity
on Identity Fusion. Self and Identity, 17, 483-
486, DOI: 10.1080/15298868.2018.1458646
2017
• Talaifar, S. & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2017). Self-Verification Theory. In Encyclopedia of
Personality and Individual Differences. Springer International Publishing.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. & Jetten, J. (2017). Restoring agency to the human actor.
Perspectives in Psychological Science, 12, 382-299.
• Vázquez, A., Gomez, A., Ordoñana, J. R., Swann, Jr., W. B. Whitehouse, H. (2017).
Sharing Genes Fosters Identity Fusion and Altruism. Self and Identity, 16, 684-702.8
• Fredman, L.A., Bastian, B., & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2017). God or country? Fusion with
Judaism predicts desire for retaliation following Palestinian Stabbing Intifada. Social
and Personality Psychological Science.
• Vázquez, A, G., Gómez, Á., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2017). Do Historic Threats to the
Group Diminish Identity Fusion and its Correlates? Self and Identity.
• Stinson, D., & Swann, W. B. Jr. (2017). Leveraging self psychology to strengthen
positive psychology: Conceptual analysis of three paths to well-being. In F. Guay,
H.W. Marsh, D. McInerney, & R. Craven, Self: Driving positive psychology and
well-being (Vol. 6, International advances in self research). Charlotte, NC:
Information Age Press.
2016
• Talaifar, S. & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2016). Differentiated Selves Can Surely Be Good for
the Group, But Let’s Get Clear About Why. Brain and Behavioral Sciences.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., & Bosson, J. K. (2016). Identity negotiation in social interaction:
Past, present, and future. In Trusz, S. & Bąbel, P. (Eds.). Intrapersonal and
Interpersonal Expectancies: Research, Applications and Future Directions. Hove, UK:
Psychology Press.
2015
• Fredman, L.A., Buhrmester, M. D., Gomez, A., Fraser, W.T., Talaifar, S., Brannon,
S.M., Swann, W. B., Jr. (2015). Identity fusion, extreme pro-group behavior, and the
path to defusion. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 9, 468–480.
• Buhrmester, M.D., Fraser, W.T., Lanman, J., Whitehouse, H., & Swann, W.B. Jr.
(2015). When terror hits home: Identity Fused Americans who saw Boston bombing
victims as “family” provided aid. Self and Identity, 14, 253-270.
• Buhrmester, M. D., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2015). Identity fusion. In Emerging Trends
in the Social and Behavioral Sciences, R. Scott and S. Kosslyn (eds.), Hoboken, NJ:
John Wiley and Sons.
• Bastian, B., Bain, P., Buhrmester, M. D., Gómez, Á., Vázquez, A., Knight, C.
G., & Swann, W. B. Jr. (2015). Moral vitalism: Seeing good and evil as real, agentic
forces. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Buhrmester, M. (2015). Identity fusion. Current Directions in
Psychological Science. 24, 52–579
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Gómez, Á., Vázquez, A, G. Guillamón, A., Segovia, S., & Carillo,
B. (2015). Fusion with the Cross-Gender Group Predicts Genital Sex Reassignment
Surgery. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 44, 1313.
• Jimenez, J, Gomez, A, Buhrmester, M. D., Vazquez, A, Whitehouse, H. Swann, W.
B., (2015). The Dynamic Identity Fusion Index (DIFI): A new continuous measure of
identity fusion for Web-based questionnaires, Social Science Computer Review,
Social Science Computer Review 1-14.
2014
• Whitehouse, H., McQuinn, B., Buhrmester, M. & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2014). Brothers
in Arms: Libyan revolutionaries bond like family. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Buhrmester, M., Gómez, Á., Jetten, J., Bastian, B., Vázquez, A. et
al. (2014). What makes a group worth dying for? Identity fusion fosters perception of
familial ties, promoting self-sacrifice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. l
•
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Gómez, A., Buhrmester, M. D., López-Rodríguez, L., Jiménez, J.,
& Vázquez, A. (2014). Contemplating the ultimate sacrifice: Identity fusion channels
pro-group affect, cognition, and moral decision-making, Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, c
• Gómez, A., Jetten, J., & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2014). The more prototypical the better?
The allure of being seen as one sees oneself. Group processes and intergroup
relations, 17, 221-239.
• Yoo, J.J, Swann, W.B., and Kim, K.K. (2014). The Influence of Identity Fusion on
Patriotic Consumption: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Korea and the U.S., The
Korean Journal of Advertising , 25(5), 81-106.
2013
• Kwang, T., Crockett, E.E., Sanchez, D.T., Swann, W.B., Jr. (2013). Men seek Social
Standing, Women Seek Companionship: Sex Differences in Deriving Self-Worth
from Relationships. Psychological Science, 24, 1142-1150.
• Seih, Y., Buhrmester, M. D., Lin, Y., Huang, C., Swann, W. B., Jr. (2013). Do People
Want to be Flattered or Understood? The Cross-Cultural Universality of Self-
Verification. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49, 169–172.
201210
• Buhrmester, M. D., Gómez, Á, Brooks, M.L., Morales, J. F., Fernandez, S. & Swann,
W. B., Jr. (2012). My group’s fate is my fate: Identity fused Americans and Spaniards
link personal life quality to outcome of ‘08 elections. Basic and Applied Social
Psychology, 34, 527-533.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Jetten, J., Gómez, Á. Whitehouse, H., & Bastian, B. (2012). When
group membership gets personal: A theory of identity fusion. Psychological Review,
119, 441-456.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. & Brooks, M. (2012) Why Threats Trigger Compensatory
Reactions: The Need for Coherence and Quest for Self-Verification. Social
Cognition, 30, 758-777.
• Chang, C. & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2012). The benefits of self-verifying social feedback.
Chapter to appear in R.M. Sutton, M.M. Hornsey, K.M. Douglas (Eds). Feedback:
The handbook of praise, criticism, and advice. Peter Lang publishers: New York.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (2012). Self-verification theory. In P. Van Lang, A. Kruglanski, &
E.T. Higgins (Eds.); pp. 23-42. Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology, Sage:
London.
• Swann, W. B. Jr & Buhrmester, M. D. (2012). Self as functional fiction. Social
Cognition, 30, 415-430.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., De La Ronde, C. & Hixon, J. G. (2012). Authenticity and
positivity strivings in marriage and courtship. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 66, 857-869. [reprinted in Psychology of Close Relationships (H.T. Reis,
Ed.), Sage: Washington.
2011
• Gómez, Á, Brooks, M.L., Buhrmester, M. D., Vázquez, A., Jetten, J. & Swann, W.
B., Jr. (2011). On the nature of identity fusion: Insights into the construct and a new
measure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100, 918-933.
• Buhrmester, M. D., Blanton, H. & Swann, W. B. Jr. (2011). Implicit self-esteem:
Nature, measurement, and a new way forward. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 100, 365-385
• Gómez, Á, Morales, J.F., Hart, S., Vázquez, A., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2011). Rejected
and excluded forevermore, but even more devoted: Irrevocable ostracism intensifies
loyalty to the group among identity fused persons. Personality and Social Psychology
Bulletin, 37, 1574-1586.11
• Brooks, M. L., Swann, W. B., Jr. & Mehta, P. H. (2011). Reasserting the self:
Blocking self-verifying behavior triggers compensatory self-verification. Self &
Identity, 10, 77–84.
• Brooks, M. L. & Swann, W. B. Jr. (2011). Is social interaction based on guile or
honesty? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 34, 17-18.
• Angulo, S., Brooks, M. L., & Swann, W. B. Jr. (2011) Swimming serenely in a sea of
words: Sexism, communication, and precarious couples. Personal Relationships, 18,
604-616.
• Swann, W. B. Jr & Buhrmester, M. D. (2011). Self-verification: The search for
coherence. In M. Leary and J. Tagney (Eds.), Handbook of self and identity (2nd
Edition) Guilford, New York.
2010
• Swann, W.B., Jr., Gómez, A., Dovidio, J. Hart, S. & Jetten, J. (2010). Dying and
Killing for One’s Group: Identity Fusion Moderates Responses to Intergroup
Versions of the Trolley Problem. Psychological Science, 21, 1176–1183
• Kwang, T. & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2010). Do people embrace praise even when they
feel unworthy? A review of critical tests of self-enhancement versus self-verification.
Personality and Social Psychology Review, 14, 263-280.
• Swann, W.B., Jr. & Bosson, J. (2010). Self and Identity. In S.T. Fiske, D.T. Gilbert,
& G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (5th ed; 589-628), New York:
McGraw-Hill.
• Sasaki, T., Hazen, N. L., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2010). The supermom trap: Do
involved dads erode moms’ self-competence? Personal Relationships, 17, 71-79.
• Patterson, M. M., Bigler, R. S., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2010). When Personal Identities
Confirm versus Conflict with Group Identities: Evidence from an Intergroup
Paradigm. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 652-670.
• Brooks, M. L., Burhrmester, M. & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2010). Interactionism spoken
like a true situationist. European Journal of Personality, 24, 483-485.
• Kwang, T., Wells, T. T., McGeary, J. E., Swann, W. B., Jr., & Beevers, C. G. (2010).
Association of the serotonin transporter promoter region polymorphism with biased
attention for negative word stimuli. Depression and Anxiety, 27, 746–751.
• Swann, W.B., Jr., Gómez, A., Huici, C., Morales, F., & Hixon, J. G. (2010). Identity
fusion and self-sacrifice: Arousal as catalyst of pro-group fighting, dying and helping
behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99, 824–841.12
2009
• Swann, W.B., Jr., Gómez, A., Seyle, C., Morales, F. & Huici, C (2009). Identity
fusion: The interplay of personal and social identities in extreme group behavior.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 995–1011.
• Gómez, A., Seyle, C., Huici, C. & Swann, W.B., Jr., (2009). Can self-verification
strivings fully transcend the self-other barrier? Seeking verification of ingroup
identities. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97, 1021-1044.
• North, R.J. & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2009). Self-Verification 360º: Illuminating the light
and dark sides. In V. Kwan & L. Gaertner (Eds.) Special issue for Self and Identity,
8, 131–146.
• North, R.J. & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2009). What’s positive about self-verification? S.
Lopez (Ed.) Handbook of Positive Psychology, 2nd Edition. (pp. 465-474). New
York: Oxford University Press.
• Swann, W. B. Jr., (2009). Self-verificationTheory. In H. Reis & S. Sprecher (Eds.),
Encyclopedia of Human Relationships. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Swann, W. B. Jr., (2009). Self-verificationTheory. In D. Matsumoto (Ed.), The
Cambridge Dictionary of Psychology (p. 482). New York: Cambridge University
Press.
• Bosson, J. & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2009). Self-esteem: Nature, origins, and
consequences. Chapter prepared for R. Hoyle & M. Leary (Eds.), Handbook of
individual differences in social behavior (pp. 527-546). New York: Guilford.
• Chang-Schneider, C. & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2009). The role of uncertainty in self-
evaluative processes: Another look at the cognitive-affective crossfire. Chapter to
appear in R.M. Arkin, K.C. Oleson, P.J. Carroll (Eds.) The uncertain self: A
handbook of perspectives from social and personality psychology (p. 216-231).
Laurence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.: New Jersey.
• Swann, W.B., Jr., Johnson, R.E., & Bosson, J. (2009). Identity negotiation in the
workplace. In B. Staw & A. Brief (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (Vol
29, 81-109). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier
2008
• Swann, W.B., Jr. (2008). Self-Verification. International Encyclopedia of the
Social Sciences, 7, pp.430-431, Thomson Gale (Macmillan Reference USA.13
• Swann, W. B., Jr. Chang-Schneider, C. & McClarty, K. (2008) Yes, cavalier attitudes
can have pernicious consequences: A reply to Krueger, Vohs, & Baumeister
American Psychologist, 63, 65-66.
• English, T., Chen, S., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2008). A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Self-
Verification Motives. In R. Sorrentino & S. Yamaguchi, (Eds.) Handbook of
Motivation and Cognition Across Cultures (pp. 119-142), Elsevier: San Diego, CA.
• Maestas, K. L, Amidon, A. Baum, E. S., Chrisman, J. G., Durham, J. A., Rooney, S.
B., Rude, S. S. & Swann W. B. Jr. (2008). Partner Devaluation is Associated with
Depression Symptoms Among Depression-Vulnerable Women With Low Self-
Esteem. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 27, 621-640.
• Swann, W.B., Jr. & Bosson, J. (2008). Identity negotiation: A Theory of Self and
Social Interaction. In O. John, R. Robins, & L. Pervin (Eds.) Handbook of Personality
Psychology: Theory and Research I (pp. 448-471). New York: Guilford.
2007
• Swann, W. B., Jr. Chang-Schneider, C.& McClarty, K. (2007) Do our self-views
matter? Self-concept and self-esteem in everyday life. American Psychologist, 62, 84-
94.
• Seyle, C. & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2007). Being Oneself in the Workplace: Self-
verification and Identity in Organizational Contexts. In C. A. Bartel, S. Blader, & A.
Wrzesniewski (Eds.) Identity and the modern organization (pp. 201-222). Erlbaum.
• Wiesenfeld, B. M., Swann, W.B., Jr, Brockner, J. & Bartel, C. (2007). Is More
Fairness Always Preferred? Self-Esteem Moderates Reactions to Procedural Justice.
Academy of Management Journal, 50, 1235–1253.
• Sellers, J.G., Woolsey, M.D. & Swann, W. B. Jr, (2007). Is silence more golden for
women than men? Observers derogate effusive women and their quiet partners. Sex
Roles: A Journal of Research, 57, 477-482.
• Swann, W.B., Jr. (2007). Self-verificationTheory. In R. F. Baumeister & K. D.
Vohs (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Social Psychology, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (2007). Blind spots. American Scientist, 95 , 451-452.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Chang-Schneider, C., & Angulo, S. (2007). Self-verification in
relationships as an adaptive process. In J. Wood, A. Tesser, & J. Holmes (Eds.),Self
and relationships (pp. 49-72). New York: Psychology Press.14
• Swann, W. B., Jr., McClarty, K., & Rentfrow, P. J. (2007). Shelter from the storm?
Flawed reactions to stress in precarious couples. Journal of Social and Personal
Relationships, 24, 793-808.
2006
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Guinn, J. S., & Larsen, K. M. (2006). Tempting today, troubling
tomorrow: The roots of the precarious couple effect. Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin, 32, 93-103.
• Bosson, J. K., Johnson, A. B., Niederhoffer, K. & Swann, W. B. Jr. (2006).
Interpersonal chemistry through negativity: Bonding by sharing negative attitudes
about others. Personal Relationships, 13, 135–150.
• Swann, W.B., Jr. & Seyle, C. (2006). The antecedents of self-esteem. In M. Kernis
(Ed.) Self-esteem: Issues and Answers (pp. 201-207). Psychology Press: East Sussex,
UK.
2005
• Swann, W.B., Jr. & Seyle, C. (2005). Personality psychology’s comeback and its
emerging symbiosis with social psychology. Personality and Social Psychology
Bulletin, 31, 155-165.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (2005). The self and identity negotiation. Interaction Studies, 6,
69-83.
2004
• Swann, W. B. Jr., Polzer, J. T., Seyle, C. & Ko, S. (2004). Finding value in diversity:
Verification of personal and social self-views in diverse groups. Academy of
Management Review, 29, 9-27.
• Gill, M. J., & Swann, W.B., Jr. (2004) On what it means to know someone: A
matter of pragmatics. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 405-418.
2003
• Swann, W.B., Jr., Rentfrow, P. J., & Guinn, J. (2003). Self-verification: The search
for coherence. In M. Leary and J. Tagney, Handbook of self and identity (pp. 367-
383): Guilford, New York.
• Bosson, J. K., Brown, R. P., Zeigler-Hill, V., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2003). Self-
enhancement tendencies among people with high explicit self-esteem: The
moderating role of implicit self-esteem. Self and Identity, 2, 169-187.15
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Rentfrow, J. R., & Gosling, S. G. (2003). The precarious couple
effect: Verbally inhibited men + critical, disinhibited women = bad chemistry.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 1095-1106.
• Swann, W. B. Jr., Kwan, V. S. Y., Polzer, J. T., Milton, L. P. (2003). Vanquishing
stereotypic perceptions via individuation and self-verification: Waning of gender
expectations in small groups. Social Cognition, 21, 194-212.
• Polzer, J., Swann, W., & Milton, L. (2003). The benefits of verifying diverse
identities for group performance. In Neale, M., Mannix, E., & Polzer, J. (Eds.),
Research on Managing Groups and Teams: Identity Issues in Groups, Vol. 5.
Stamford, CT: JAI Press.
• Swann, W. B. Jr., Kwan, V. S. Y., Polzer, J. T., Milton, L. P. (2003). Fostering group
identification and creativity in diverse groups: The role of individuation and self-
verification. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 1396-1406.
• Gosling, S. D., Rentfrow, P. J., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2003). A Very Brief Measure of
the Big Five Personality Domains. Journal of Research in Personality, 37, 504–528
2002
• Swann, W. B., Jr. & Pelham, B. W. (2002). The truth about illusions: Authenticity
and positivity in social relationships. In C.R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.) Handbook
of positive psychology (pp 366-381). Oxford: New York.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Bosson, J. K., & Pelham, B. W. (2002). Different partners,
different selves: The verification of circumscribed identities. Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin, 28, 1215-1228.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. & Pelham, B. W. (2002). Who wants out when the going gets
good? Psychological investment and preference for self-verifying college roommates.
Journal of Self and Identity, 1, 219-233.
• Polzer, J. T., Milton, L. P. & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2002). Capitalizing on Diversity:
Interpersonal Congruence in Small Work Groups. Administrative Science Quarterly,
47, 296-324.
2001
• Tafarodi, R. W., & Swann, W. B., Jr., (2001). Two-dimensional self-esteem: Theory
and measurement. Personality and Individual Differences, 31, 653-673.
• Bosson, J. K., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2001). Pragmatic self-verification: Seeking
feedback as positive as reality will allow. In J. H. Harvey & A. E. Wenzel (Eds.),
Close Romantic Relationships: Maintenance and Enhancement.16
• Swann, W. B., Jr. & Rentfrow, P. J. (2001). Blirtatiousness: Cognitive,
interpersonal, and physiological consequences of rapid responding. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology.
2000
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Milton, L. P., & Polzer, J.T. (2000). Should we create a niche or
fall in line? Identity negotiation and small group effectiveness. Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, 79, 238-250.
• Bosson, J., Swann, W.B., Jr. & Pennebaker, J. (2000). Stalking the perfect measure of
implicit self-esteem: The blind men and the elephant revisited? Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, 79, 631-643.
• Pinel, E. C. & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2000). Finding the self through others: Self-
verification and social movement participation. In T. Owens & S. Stryker (Eds.), Self,
identity, and social movements (132-152). MPLS, MN: Univ. of Minnesota Press.
1999
• Bosson, J. & Swann, W.B.,Jr. (1999). Self-liking, self-competence, and the quest for
self-verification. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25, 1230-1241.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Langlois, J. H. & Gilbert, L. A. (Eds.) (1999). Sexism and
stereotypes in modern society: The gender science of Janet Taylor Spence. American
Psychological Association: Washington, DC.
• Swann, W. Jr. (1999). Resilient Identities: Self, relationships, and the construction of
social reality. Basic books: New York. (paperback version of “Self-traps”).
• Giesler, R. B. & Swann, W. B. Jr. (1999). Self-verification and depression. In T.
Joiner & J. C. Coyne (Eds.) Recent advances in interpersonal approaches to
depression. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., & Bosson, J. K. (1999). The flip side of the reassurance-seeking
coin: The partner’s perspective. Psychological Inquiry, 10, 302-304.
• Swann, W.B. Jr; Griffin, J.J. Jr, Predmore, S.C; Gaines, B. The cognitive-affective
crossfire: When self-consistency confronts self-enhancement. [Reprinted as a
chapter]. Baumeister, Roy F. (Ed), et al. (1999). The self in social psychology. Key
readings in social psychology. (pp. 391-401). Philadelphia, PA, US: Psychology
Press/Taylor & Francis.17
1998
• De La Ronde, C. & Swann, W. B. Jr. (1998). Partner verification: Restoring shattered
images of our intimates. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 374-382.
• Gill, M.J, Swann, W.B., Jr., & Silvera, D.H. (1998). On the genesis of confidence.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 1101-1114.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1998). The Self is not a bowling ball, in J. Cooper & J. Darley
(Eds.), Attributional processes, person perception, and social interaction: The legacy
of Ned Jones. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. & Gill, M. (1998). Sex, confidence, and the widows Ademoski: On
knowing what we know about others. In V. Yzerbyt, G. Lories, & B. Dardenne (Eds).
Metacognition: Cognitive and social dimensions. London: Sage.
1997
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1997). The trouble with change: Self-verification and allegiance to
the self. Psychological Science, 8, 177-180.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. & Gill, M.J. (1997). Confidence and accuracy in person perception:
Do we know what we think we know about our relationship partners? Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 747-757.
1996
• Giesler, R. B., Josephs, R. A. & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1996). Self-verification in clinical
depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 105, 358-368.
• Tafarodi, R. W., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1996). Individualism-collectivism and global
self-esteem: Evidence for a cultural trade off. Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology,
27, 651-672.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1996). Self-traps: The elusive quest for higher self-esteem.
Freeman: New York
• Morris, K. A., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1996). Denial and the AIDS crisis: On wishing
away the threat of AIDS. In S. Oskamp & S. Thompson (Eds.), Safer sex in the 90’s:
Understanding and preventing HIV risk behavior. New York: Sage.
1995
• Swann, W. B., Jr., & Schroeder, D. G. (1995). The search for beauty and truth: A
framework for understanding reactions to evaluations. Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin, 21, 1307-1318.18
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Silvera, D. H., & Proske, C. U. (1995). On “knowing your
partner”: Dangerous illusions in the age of AIDS? Personal Relationships, 2, 173-
186.
• Tafarodi, R. W., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1995). Self-liking and self-competence as
dimensions of global self-esteem: Initial validation of a measure. Journal of
Personality Assessment, 65, 322-342.
1994
• Swann, W. B., Jr., De La Ronde, C. & Hixon, J. G. (1994). Authenticity and
positivity strivings in marriage and courtship. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 66, 857-869.
• Pelham, B. W., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1994). The juncture of intrapersonal and
interpersonal knowledge: Self-certainty and interpersonal congruence. Personality
and Social Psychology Bulletin, 20, 349-357.
• McNulty, S. E., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1994). Identity negotiation in roommate
relationships: The self as architect and consequence of social reality. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 1012-1023.
1993
• Hixon, J. G., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1993). When does introspection bear fruit? Self-
reflection, self-insight, and interpersonal choices. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 64, 35-43.
• De La Ronde, C., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1993). Caught in the crossfire: Positivity and
self-verification strivings among people with low self-esteem. In R. Baumeister (Ed.)
Self-esteem: The puzzle of low self-regard. New York: Plenum.
1992
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1992). Seeking truth, finding despair: Some unhappy
consequences of a negative self-concept. Current Directions in Psychological
Science, 1, 15-18.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Stein-Seroussi, A., & Giesler, B. (1992). Why people self-verify.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 392-401.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Hixon, J. G., & De La Ronde, C. (1992). Embracing the bitter
truth: Negative self-concepts and marital commitment. Psychological Science, 3, 118-
121.19
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Stein-Seroussi, A., & McNulty, S. (1992). Outcasts in a white lie
society: The enigmatic worlds of people with negative self-conceptions. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 618-624.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Wenzlaff, R. M., Krull, D. S., & Pelham, B. W. (1992). The allure
of negative feedback: Self-verification strivings among depressed persons. Journal of
Abnormal Psychology, 101, 293-306.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Wenzlaff, R. M., & Tafarodi, R. W. (1992). Depression and the
search for negative evaluations: More evidence of the role of self-verification
strivings. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 101, 314-317.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1992). Dance with the one who brung ya? Psychological Inquiry.
1991
• McNulty, S. E., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1991). Psychotherapy, self-concept change, and
self-verification. In R. Curtis (Ed.) The relational self: Theoretical convergences in
psychoanalysis and social psychology, New York: Guilford.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1991). Bridge over troubled water. Psychological Inquiry.
1990
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Hixon, G., Stein-Seroussi, A., & Gilbert, D. T. (1990). The fleeting
gleam of praise: Behavioral reactions to self-relevant feedback. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 17-26.
• Swann, W.B., Jr., & Brown, J. D. (1990). From self to health: Self-verification and
identity disruption. In I. Sarason, B. Sarason, & G. Pierce (Eds.), Social support: An
interactional view (pp. 150-172). New York: Wiley.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1990). To be adored or to be known : The interplay of self-
enhancement and self-verification. In R. M. Sorrentino & E. T. Higgins (Eds.)
Foundations of Social Behavior, (Vol. 2, pp. 408-448). New York: Guilford.
1989
• Pelham, B. W., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1989). From self-conceptions to self-worth: The
sources and structure of self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
57, 672-680.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Pelham, B. W., & Krull, D. S. (1989). Agreeable fancy or
disagreeable truth? How people reconcile their self-enhancement and self-verification
needs. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 782-791.20
1988
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Pelham, B. W., & Chidester, T. (1988). Change through paradox:
Using self-verification to alter beliefs. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
54, 268-273.
• Darley, J. M., Fleming, J. H., Hilton, J. L., Swann, W. B., Jr. (1988). Dispelling
negative expectancies: The impact of interaction goals and target characteristics on
the expectancy confirmation process. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 24,
19-36.
1987
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Griffin, J.J., Predmore, S., & Gaines, B. (1987). The cognitive-
affective crossfire: When self-consistency confronts self-enhancement. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 881-889.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. & Giuliano, T. (1987). Confirmatory search strategies in social
interaction: When, how, why and with what consequences. Journal of Clinical and
Social Psychology, 5, 511-524.
• Ginzel, L. E., Jones, E. E., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1987). How naive is the naive
attributer?: Discounting and augmentation in attitude attribution. Social Cognition, 5,
108-130.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Pelham, B. W., & Roberts, D. (1987). Causal chunking: Memory
and inference in ongoing interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
53, 858-865.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1987). Identity negotiation: Where two roads meet. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 1038-1051.
1985
• Swann, W. B., Jr., & Predmore, S. C. (1985). Intimates as agents of social support:
Sources of consolation or despair? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49,
1609-1617.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1985). The self as architect of social reality. In B. Schlenker (Ed.),
The self and social life (pp. 100-125). New York: McGraw-Hill.
198421
• Swann, W. B., Jr., & Ely, R. J. (1984). A battle of wills: Self-verification versus
behavioral confirmation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 1287-
1302.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1984). The quest for accuracy in person perception: A matter of
pragmatics. Psychological Review, 91, 457-477.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1984). Language and social knowing. Contemporary Psychology,
29, 215-216.
1983
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1983). Self-verification: Bringing social reality into harmony with
the self. In J. Suls & A. G. Greenwald (Eds.),Social psychological perspectives on the
self (Vol. 2, pp. 33-66). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1983). The self. Science, 218, 782.
1982
• Swann, W. B., Giuliano, T., & Wegner, D. M. (1982). Where leading questions can
lead: The power of conjecture in social interaction. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 42, 1025-1035.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., & Hill, C. A. (1982). When our identities are mistaken:
Reaffirming self-conceptions through social interaction. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 43, 59-66.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., & Miller, L. C. (1982). Why never forgetting a face matters:
Visual imagery and social memory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
43, 475-480.
• Swann, W. B., Jr. (1982). It’s not what you do, but why you do it. Contemporary
Psychology, 27, 185-186.
1981
• Swann, W. B., Jr., & Read, S. J. (1981). Self-verification processes: How we sustain
our self-conceptions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 17, 351-372.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., & Read, S. J. (1981b). Acquiring self-knowledge: The search for
feedback that fits. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41,1119-1128.
198022
• Swann, W. B., Jr., & Snyder, M. (1980). On translating beliefs into action: Theories
of ability and their application in an instructional setting. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 38, 879-888.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., Stephenson, B., & Pittman, T. S. (1980). Curiosity and control: On
the determinants of the search for social knowledge. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 40, 635-642.
1978
• Snyder, M., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1978a). Hypothesis testing processes in social
interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, 1202-1212.
• Snyder, M., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1978b). Behavioral confirmation in social
interaction: From social perception to social reality. Journal of Experimental Social
Psychology, 14, 148-162.
1975-1977
• Swann, W. B., Jr., & Pittman, T. S. (1977). Initiating play activity of children: The
moderating influence of verbal cues on intrinsic motivation. Child Development, 48,
1128-1132.
• Snyder, M., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (1976). When actions reflect attitudes. The politics
of impression management. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34, 1034-
1042.
• Swann, W. B., Jr., & Pittman, T. S. (1975). Salience of initial ratings and attitude
change in the “forbidden toy” paradigm. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
1, 493-496.
