Perspectives on Hypo-egoic Phenomena From Social and Personality Psychology
Mark R. Leary, Kate J. Diebels, Katrina P. Jongman-Sereno, Ashley Hawkins
Oxford Handbooks Online October 5, 2016 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199328079.013.4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that hypo-egoic mindsets—characterized by present focus, minimal introspection, concrete self-construal, and low concern with others' evaluations—are an understudied counterpart to the ego-focused phenomena that dominate social and personality psychology. The chapter presents six exemplars of hypo-egoic processing: mindfulness, flow, hypo-egoic self-regulation, humility, altruism, and allo-inclusive identity. |
Abstract
Topics related to self and identity have been of considerable interest to social and personality psychologists because people’s self-relevant thoughts play an important role in their cognitions, motives, emotions, and behavior. Most work in the area of self and identity has focused on phenomena that involve a high degree of self-awareness, egocentrism, and egoism. Phenomena characterized by a low level (or even absence) of these egoic characteristics have received comparatively less attention. People who are in a hypo-egoic state focus primarily on the present situation; introspect minimally on their thoughts, motives, and feelings; think about and evaluate themselves primarily in concrete, as opposed to abstract, ways; and pay relatively little attention to other people’s perceptions and evaluations of them. This chapter examines the nature of hypo-egoic mindsets, with a focus on six exemplars of social psychological phenomena that involve hypo-egoic processing: mindfulness, flow, hypo-egoic self-regulation, humility, altruism, and allo-inclusive identity.