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Social Psychology

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Selected Works

Scott T. Allison

Selected Works

Articles 1 - 9 of 9

Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Perceptions Of Leaders, Heroes And Villains: Mystery Resolution And Meaning-Making, George R. Goethals, Scott T. Allison Dec 2018

Perceptions Of Leaders, Heroes And Villains: Mystery Resolution And Meaning-Making, George R. Goethals, Scott T. Allison

Scott T. Allison


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.

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Underdogs As Heroes, Joseph A. Vandello, Nadav Goldschmied, Kenneth Michniewicz Dec 2016

Underdogs As Heroes, Joseph A. Vandello, Nadav Goldschmied, Kenneth Michniewicz

Scott T. Allison

In this chapter, we review theory and research that attempts to unlock the appeal of the under- dog. As we will show, while there is plenty of evidence for the powerful draw of underdogs, there is as of yet no consensus about the cause of this appeal. We will also speculate on the conceptual simi- larities and differences between rooting for underdogs and judging people as heroes.

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Setting The Scene: The Rise And Coalescence Of Heroism Science, Scott T. Allison, George R. Goethals, Roderick M. Kramer Dec 2016

Setting The Scene: The Rise And Coalescence Of Heroism Science, Scott T. Allison, George R. Goethals, Roderick M. Kramer

Scott T. Allison

This opening chapter of the Handbook of Heroism and Heroic Leadership offers insights and inspiration about the zenith of human behavior. The contributions to this volume offer a sturdy foundations for the development of a multidisciplinary and even transdisciplinary perspective on the antecedents and consequences of heroic behavior. In aggregate, these chapters chart the landscape of what we currently know about heroism-related phenomena, covering a panoply of  human experiences. The chapters encompass such diverse topics as courage, empathy, resilience, hope, meaning, purpose, spirituality, morality, altruism, character strengths, wisdom, development, regeneration, and transformation.    

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Paradoxical Truths In Heroic Leadership: Implications For Leadership Development And Effectiveness, Scott T. Allison, Jennifer L. Cecilione Dec 2015

Paradoxical Truths In Heroic Leadership: Implications For Leadership Development And Effectiveness, Scott T. Allison, Jennifer L. Cecilione

Scott T. Allison

In this chapter, we discuss the basic elements of heroic leadership, showing how heroism and exemplary leadership are deeply intertwined. We then describe six paradoxical truths about heroic leadership that are often unrecognized and unappreciated. We believe that ignorance of these counterintuitive truths and paradoxes about heroic leadership can lead to misunderstandings about leaders, leadership, and leadership development. Most of these paradoxes are a central part of the hero’s journey as described by comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell (1949). We will discuss the genesis of these paradoxical truths, and we will suggest ways that an awareness of these principles can engender …

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Common Storytelling Elements In The Journeys Of Heroes And Villains, Scott T. Allison Dec 2014

Common Storytelling Elements In The Journeys Of Heroes And Villains, Scott T. Allison

Scott T. Allison

In this paper, we review similarities and differences between the classic storytelling arc of heroes and that of villains. We propose some basic differences between the hero's journey and the villain's journey but conclude that the main difference resides in a temporal staggering of the two characters' journeys.

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The Initiation Of Heroism Science, Scott T. Allison Dec 2014

The Initiation Of Heroism Science, Scott T. Allison

Scott T. Allison

In this article I describe the nascent field of heroism science, as part of a broader movement for the promotion of heroism in 21st century societies. I identify several markers of its emergence and offer reasons why the science is now coalescing into an established and autonomous field of inquiry. Moreover, I discuss the importance of maintaining a dynamic symbiotic relationship between the research and activist wings of the heroism movement. The aims and scope of heroism science are discussed, and reasons are offered for producing a science that is inclusive, transdisciplinary, and risk-taking. I examine all these issues within …

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Heroic Leadership: An Influence Taxonomy Of 100 Exceptional Individuals, Scott T. Allison, George R. Goethals Mar 2014

Heroic Leadership: An Influence Taxonomy Of 100 Exceptional Individuals, Scott T. Allison, George R. Goethals

Scott T. Allison

Heroic Leadership is a celebration of our greatest heroes, from legends such as Mahatma Gandhi to the legions of unsung heroes who transform our world quietly behind the scenes. The authors argue that all great heroes are also great leaders. The term ‘heroic leadership’ is coined to describe how heroism and leadership are intertwined, and how our most cherished heroes are also our most transforming leaders.

This book offers a new conceptual framework for understanding heroism and heroic leadership, drawing from theories of great leadership and heroic action. Ten categories of heroism are described: Trending Heroes, Transitory Heroes, Transparent Heroes, …

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On Being Better But Not Smarter Than Others: The Muhammad Ali Effect, Scott T. Allison, George R. Goethals, David M. Messick Mar 2014

On Being Better But Not Smarter Than Others: The Muhammad Ali Effect, Scott T. Allison, George R. Goethals, David M. Messick

Scott T. Allison

Past research suggests that people believe that they perform socially desirable behaviors more frequently and socially undesirable behaviors less frequently than others (Goethals, 1986; Messick, Bloom, Boldizar, & Samuelson, 1985). The present research examined whether this perception also characterizes people's thinking about intelligent and unintelligent behaviors. In Study 1, subjects wrote lists of behaviors that they or others did. Subjects indicated that they performed more good and intelligent behaviors and fewer bad and unintelligent behaviors than others, although the magnitude of these differences was greater for good and bad acts than for intelligent and unintelligent ones. In Study 2, a …

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Rooting For (And Then Abandoning) The Underdog, Jonghan Kim, Scott T. Allison, Dafna Eylon, George Goethals, Michael Markus, Sheila Hindle, Heather Mcguire Dec 2007

Rooting For (And Then Abandoning) The Underdog, Jonghan Kim, Scott T. Allison, Dafna Eylon, George Goethals, Michael Markus, Sheila Hindle, Heather Mcguire

Scott T. Allison

Although people prefer to associate with winners, there is also a strong desire to support the lovable loser or underdog. In 4 studies, we demonstrate the underdog effect and its delimiting conditions.

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