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In this chapter, we review the myriad ways that people resolve mystery and uncertainty in social perception. People rely on perceptual, cognitive, and motivational resources at their disposal to acquire an understanding of mysterious persons, groups, and circumstances.  Perceptual forces at work in the mystery resolution process include principles of gestalt organization.  Cognitive processes that come into play include people’s use of impressions, prototypes, archetypes, and implicit theories of leadership, heroism, and villainy.  Moreover, we describe several key motivational forces that steer people toward desired conclusions about mystery. Implications for social behavior and perception are discussed.

Joseph Campbell (1949) did more than outline the stages of the hero's journey; he proposed that all human beings are on such a journey. We show how the hero's path mirrors stages of human lifespan development. This parallel suggests that human beings' life purpose is to live the life of a hero, including (1) embarking on a journey; (2) growing from adversity; (3) assembling a team of allies; and (4) giving back to society.