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Roy F. Baumeister

Bio: Roy F. Baumeister is an academic researcher from University of Queensland. The author has contributed to research in topics: Ego depletion & Poison control. The author has an hindex of 157, co-authored 650 publications receiving 132987 citations. Previous affiliations of Roy F. Baumeister include Florida State University College of Arts and Sciences & Princeton University.


Papers
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Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 2003
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that emotional states of the perpetrators at those moments can have a decisive effect on the degree of violence and even on whether any aggression occurs at all.
Abstract: Emotions constitute an important category of the psychological causes of aggression and violence. Although it would be absurd to suggest that emotions are the sole or primary causes of aggression, they constitute a very important and proximal factor. Ultimately, violent acts consist of individual human beings inflicting harm on other human beings. The emotional states of the perpetrators at those moments can have a decisive effect on the degree of violence and even on whether any aggression occurs at all.

18 citations

Book
25 Feb 2002
Abstract: (NOTE: Each chapter concludes with a Chapter Review and Suggested Readings.) 1. Finding Your Way in a Diverse World. Human Sexuality and Basic Needs. Meeting Your Needs. Sexuality and Human Diversity. Sex Research. Theoretical Perspectives on Sexuality. Ask Yourself. 2. Human Sexual Anatomy and Physiology. A. Female Sexual Anatomy and Physiology. Female Internal Sexual Organs. Female External Sexual Organs. The Menstrual Cycle. Menopause. Disorders of the Female Sex Organs. Breasts. Diseases of the Breast. B. Male Sexual Anatomy and Physiology. Male Internal Sexual Organs. Male External Sexual Organs. Disorders of the Male Sexual Organs. 3. Sexual Arousal and Response. One Advantage of Being Homo Sapiens. Biological Foundations for Sexual Arousal and Response. Sex Hormones. The Sexual Response Cycle. Orgasm. Sexuality and Disabilities. 4. Sexual Dysfunctions and Therapies. Disorders of Sexual Desire. Disorders of Sexual Arousal. Orgasmic Disorders. Sexual Pain Disorders. Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on Sexual Function. Sexual Therapy. 5. Conception, Pregnancy, and Birth. Conception. Fetal Development. Pregnancy Detection. Pregnancy. The Responsibilities of Pregnancy. Problems in Pregnancy. Expectant Fathers. The Birth Experience. Postpartum. Infertility. 6. Contraception and Abortion. A Brief History of Contraception and Abortion. An Overview of Birth Control Today. Barrier Methods of Birth Control. Mechanical Methods of Birth Control. Chemical Methods of Birth Control. Hormone-Based Contraceptives. Surgical Methods of Birth Control. Fertility Awareness Methods. Postcoital Contraception. Abortion. New and Future Contraceptive Technology. 7. Sexually Transmitted Infections. What Are Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)? Bacterial Infections. Viral Infections. Parasitic Infections. Ways to Avoid STIs. What to Do if You Get an STI. 8. Social Control of Sexuality. Who? Social Control and the Selection of a Sexual Partner. When? Social Control of the Timing of Sexual Relations. Where? How Society Influences the Location of Sexual Activity. How? Social Regulation of Sexual Behavior. Why? Reasons for Social Control of Sexuality. The Double Standard and Suppression of Female Sexuality. 9. Sex Across the Life Span. Birth and Childhood. Adolescence: The Transition to Adulthood. Adulthood: The Transition to Maturity. Aging: The Final Transition. 10. Sex and Gender. Males, Females, and Intersexuals. Sexual Differentiation. Gender Roles. Gender Identity. Gender Identity Disorders. 11. Sexual Orientation. A Continuum of Sexual Orientation. The Basis of Sexual Orientation. Dating, Sex, and Relationships. Homophobia. Coming Out of the Closet. 12. Consensual Sexual Behavior. Celibacy. Sexual Arousal During Sleep. Autoerotic Sexual Activity. Sex with a Partner. Atypical Sexual Behaviors. 13. Sexual Coercion. Nonconsenting Sexual Behaviors. Verbal Sexual Coercion. Forcible Sex. 14. The Business of Sex. Why Sex Sells. Prostitution. Pornography. Sex and Profits. 15. Sex and Love. What Is Love? Attraction: Looking for Love. Romance: Falling in Love. Sex: Making Love. Attachment: Staying in Love. Intimacy, Love, and Sexual Communication. 16. Sex and Heartache. Relationships Can Make You Sad. Relationships Can Make You Mad. Relationships Can Make You Scared. 17. Sexuality, Spirituality, and Religious Traditions. Spirituality and Sexuality. Sexuality and Religion. Sexuality and Religious Traditions. 18. Sexual Politics and Legal Issues. Sexual Politics. The Politics of Sex Research. Gay and Lesbian Rights. The Politics of AIDS. Reproductive Rights. Ask Yourself. Regulating the Sexual Behavior of Consenting Adults. Some Unintended Effects of Legislation. 19. Sexuality Education. Who Decides What Gets Taught? Where Should Sexuality Education Be Taught? What Should Sexuality Education Courses Teach? Does Sexuality Education Make a Difference? Do Parents Talk About Sexuality? Do Their Children Listen? 20. Defining Responsibility in a Changing World. Values and Sexuality. Sexual Ethics. Sexual Decision-Making. Ask Yourself.

18 citations

Book
01 Jan 2012
TL;DR: In a hedonistic age full of distractions, it's hard to possess willpower - or even understand why we should need it Yet it's actually the most important factor in achieving success and a happy life, shown to be more significant than money, looks, background or intelligence.
Abstract: Can you resist everything except temptation? In a hedonistic age full of distractions, it's hard to possess willpower - or in fact even understand why we should need it Yet it's actually the most important factor in achieving success and a happy life, shown to be more significant than money, looks, background or intelligence This book reveals the secrets of self-control Here Roy Baumeister, one of the world's most esteemed and influential psychologists, and journalist John Tierney, turn this notion on its head They show us that willpower is like a muscle that can be strengthened with practice and improved over time The latest laboratory work shows that self-control has a physical basis to it and so is dramatically affected by simple things such as eating and sleeping - to the extent that a life-changing decision may go in different directions depending on whether it's made before or after lunch Based on years of psychological research and filled with practical advice, this book will teach you how to gain from self-control without pain, and discover the very real power in willpower The results are nothing short of life-changing

18 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that improving self-control capacity may enable students to deal with anxiety-related problems during school tests because it is indirectly related to math grades via anxiety-impaired cognition.
Abstract: We assumed that self-control capacity, self-efficacy, and self-esteem would enable students to keep attentional control during tests. Therefore, we hypothesized that the three personality traits would be negatively related to anxiety-impaired cognition during math examinations. Secondary school students (N = 158) completed measures of self-control capacity, self-efficacy, and self-esteem at the beginning of the school year. Five months later, anxiety-impaired cognition during math examinations was assessed. Higher self-control capacity, but neither self-efficacy nor self-esteem, predicted lower anxiety-impaired cognition 5 months later, over and above baseline anxiety-impaired cognition. Moreover, self-control capacity was indirectly related to math grades via anxiety-impaired cognition. The findings suggest that improving self-control capacity may enable students to deal with anxiety-related problems during school tests.

18 citations

01 Feb 2012
TL;DR: Several mid-level theories of sexuality on the theme of changes in sexuality are reviewed in this article, which is supported by evidence that changes occur throughout time, during the course of relationships, and depending on the larger sociocultural context.
Abstract: This paper reviews several mid-level theories of sexuality on the theme of changes in sexuality, which is supported by evidence that changes in sexuality occur throughout time, during the course of relationships, and depending on the larger sociocultural context. The first section covers the theory of female erotic plasticity, which suggests that women on average exhibit greater variation in their sexual attitudes, desires, and behavior over the course of their lives than men. The second section addresses changes in passion over the course of romantic relationships. Changes in intimacy within a relationship over time are hypothesized to produce temporary spikes in passion and sexual behavior. The final section reviews the theory of sexual economics, which analyzes sexual behavior according to economic principles. This theory proposes that sex is a female resource that women exchange with men for other valued rewards. Changes in the sexual marketplace affect the negotiation of sex between the genders. Although these changes in sexuality are well-documented, neuroscience research is needed to shed light on how the brain enables, responds, and adjusts to these changes.

18 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Research guided by self-determination theory has focused on the social-contextual conditions that facilitate versus forestall the natural processes of self-motivation and healthy psychological development, leading to the postulate of three innate psychological needs--competence, autonomy, and relatedness.
Abstract: Human beings can be proactive and engaged or, alternatively, passive and alienated, largely as a function of the social conditions in which they develop and function. Accordingly, research guided by self-determination theo~ has focused on the social-contextual conditions that facilitate versus forestall the natural processes of self-motivation and healthy psychological development. Specifically, factors have been examined that enhance versus undermine intrinsic motivation, self-regulation, and well-being. The findings have led to the postulate of three innate psychological needs--competence, autonomy, and relatednesswhich when satisfied yield enhanced self-motivation and mental health and when thwarted lead to diminished motivation and well-being. Also considered is the significance of these psychological needs and processes within domains such as health care, education, work, sport, religion, and psychotherapy. T he fullest representations of humanity show people to be curious, vital, and self-motivated. At their best, they are agentic and inspired, striving to learn; extend themselves; master new skills; and apply their talents responsibly. That most people show considerable effort, agency, and commitment in their lives appears, in fact, to be more normative than exceptional, suggesting some very positive and persistent features of human nature. Yet, it is also clear that the human spirit can be diminished or crushed and that individuals sometimes reject growth and responsibility. Regardless of social strata or cultural origin, examples of both children and adults who are apathetic, alienated, and irresponsible are abundant. Such non-optimal human functioning can be observed not only in our psychological clinics but also among the millions who, for hours a day, sit passively before their televisions, stare blankly from the back of their classrooms, or wait listlessly for the weekend as they go about their jobs. The persistent, proactive, and positive tendencies of human nature are clearly not invariantly apparent. The fact that human nature, phenotypically expressed, can be either active or passive, constructive or indolent, suggests more than mere dispositional differences and is a function of more than just biological endowments. It also bespeaks a wide range of reactions to social environments that is worthy of our most intense scientific investigation. Specifically, social contexts catalyze both within- and between-person differences in motivation and personal growth, resulting in people being more self-motivated, energized, and integrated in some situations, domains, and cultures than in others. Research on the conditions that foster versus undermine positive human potentials has both theoretical import and practical significance because it can contribute not only to formal knowledge of the causes of human behavior but also to the design of social environments that optimize people's development, performance, and well-being. Research guided by self-determination theory (SDT) has had an ongoing concern with precisely these

29,115 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as mentioned in this paper maintains that an understanding of human motivation requires a consideration of innate psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness, emphasizing that needs specify the necessary conditions for psychological growth, integrity, and well-being.
Abstract: Self-determination theory (SDT) maintains that an understanding of human motivation requires a consideration of innate psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. We discuss the SDT concept of needs as it relates to previous need theories, emphasizing that needs specify the necessary conditions for psychological growth, integrity, and well-being. This concept of needs leads to the hypotheses that different regulatory processes underlying goal pursuits are differentially associated with effective functioning and well-being and also that different goal contents have different relations to the quality of behavior and mental health, specifically because different regulatory processes and different goal contents are associated with differing degrees of need satisfaction. Social contexts and individual differences that support satisfaction of the basic needs facilitate natural growth processes including intrinsically motivated behavior and integration of extrinsic motivations, whereas those that forestall autonomy, competence, or relatedness are associated with poorer motivation, performance, and well-being. We also discuss the relation of the psychological needs to cultural values, evolutionary processes, and other contemporary motivation theories.

20,832 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Theories of the self from both psychology and anthropology are integrated to define in detail the difference between a construal of self as independent and a construpal of the Self as interdependent as discussed by the authors, and these divergent construals should have specific consequences for cognition, emotion, and motivation.
Abstract: People in different cultures have strikingly different construals of the self, of others, and of the interdependence of the 2. These construals can influence, and in many cases determine, the very nature of individual experience, including cognition, emotion, and motivation. Many Asian cultures have distinct conceptions of individuality that insist on the fundamental relatedness of individuals to each other. The emphasis is on attending to others, fitting in, and harmonious interdependence with them. American culture neither assumes nor values such an overt connectedness among individuals. In contrast, individuals seek to maintain their independence from others by attending to the self and by discovering and expressing their unique inner attributes. As proposed herein, these construals are even more powerful than previously imagined. Theories of the self from both psychology and anthropology are integrated to define in detail the difference between a construal of the self as independent and a construal of the self as interdependent. Each of these divergent construals should have a set of specific consequences for cognition, emotion, and motivation; these consequences are proposed and relevant empirical literature is reviewed. Focusing on differences in self-construals enables apparently inconsistent empirical findings to be reconciled, and raises questions about what have been thought to be culture-free aspects of cognition, emotion, and motivation.

18,178 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Existing evidence supports the hypothesis that the need to belong is a powerful, fundamental, and extremely pervasive motivation, and people form social attachments readily under most conditions and resist the dissolution of existing bonds.
Abstract: A hypothesized need to form and maintain strong, stable interpersonal relationships is evaluated in light of the empirical literature. The need is for frequent, nonaversive interactions within an ongoing relational bond. Consistent with the belongingness hypothesis, people form social attachments readily under most conditions and resist the dissolution of existing bonds. Belongingness appears to have multiple and strong effects on emotional patterns and on cognitive processes. Lack of attachments is linked to a variety of ill effects on health, adjustment, and well-being. Other evidence, such as that concerning satiation, substitution, and behavioral consequences, is likewise consistent with the hypothesized motivation. Several seeming counterexamples turned out not to disconfirm the hypothesis. Existing evidence supports the hypothesis that the need to belong is a powerful, fundamental, and extremely pervasive motivation.

17,492 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Correlational, quasi-experimental, and laboratory studies show that the MAAS measures a unique quality of consciousness that is related to a variety of well-being constructs, that differentiates mindfulness practitioners from others, and that is associated with enhanced self-awareness.
Abstract: Mindfulness is an attribute of consciousness long believed to promote well-being. This research provides a theoretical and empirical examination of the role of mindfulness in psychological well-being. The development and psychometric properties of the dispositional Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) are described. Correlational, quasi-experimental, and laboratory studies then show that the MAAS measures a unique quality of consciousness that is related to a variety of well-being constructs, that differentiates mindfulness practitioners from others, and that is associated with enhanced selfawareness. An experience-sampling study shows that both dispositional and state mindfulness predict self-regulated behavior and positive emotional states. Finally, a clinical intervention study with cancer patients demonstrates that increases in mindfulness over time relate to declines in mood disturbance and stress. Many philosophical, spiritual, and psychological traditions emphasize the importance of the quality of consciousness for the maintenance and enhancement of well-being (Wilber, 2000). Despite this, it is easy to overlook the importance of consciousness in human well-being because almost everyone exercises its primary capacities, that is, attention and awareness. Indeed, the relation between qualities of consciousness and well-being has received little empirical attention. One attribute of consciousness that has been much-discussed in relation to well-being is mindfulness. The concept of mindfulness has roots in Buddhist and other contemplative traditions where conscious attention and awareness are actively cultivated. It is most commonly defined as the state of being attentive to and aware of what is taking place in the present. For example, Nyanaponika Thera (1972) called mindfulness “the clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us at the successive moments of perception” (p. 5). Hanh (1976) similarly defined mindfulness as “keeping one’s consciousness alive to the present reality” (p. 11). Recent research has shown that the enhancement of mindfulness through training facilitates a variety of well-being outcomes (e.g., Kabat-Zinn, 1990). To date, however, there has been little work examining this attribute as a naturally occurring characteristic. Recognizing that most everyone has the capacity to attend and to be aware, we nonetheless assume (a) that individuals differ in their propensity or willingness to be aware and to sustain attention to what is occurring in the present and (b) that this mindful capacity varies within persons, because it can be sharpened or dulled by a variety of factors. The intent of the present research is to reliably identify these inter- and intrapersonal variations in mindfulness, establish their relations to other relevant psychological constructs, and demonstrate their importance to a variety of forms of psychological well-being.

9,818 citations