His research examines how identity and intragroup processes shape intergroup relations, with a focus on integrating disparate theoretical traditions from across social psychology. is professor emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin, US, and a past president of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology. He developed self-verification theory, which focuses on people’s desire to be known and understood by others. His recent research has focused on identity fusion.
Imagine a creature that is like humans in every way, except that it has no enduring inner self. The behaviour of this hypothetical species – which we will call Homo vacuus – would be driven not by their private beliefs and inclinations, but rather by knee-jerk responses to their immediate environment. Lacking an enduring web of preferences, attitudes and proclivities, the contents of the H vacuus character would be filled by whatever situation they find themselves in.
As a result, their behaviour would vary dramatically as they moved from one situation to the next. Scrutiny of H vacuus would reveal a host of curious behaviours. Their attitudes towards others would be shaped by random factors that unconsciously influence their thoughts.
They might feel ‘warmer’ toward others when they handle a hot cappuccino, and ‘colder’ when clasping an iced latte. Their political decisions would hinge on seemingly innocuous details. For instance, turnout in their elections would surge if they were affirmed as being ‘voters’, rather than merely people who vote.
And on morality, their views on topics from abortion to pornography could depend on something as mundane as whether they had washed their hands, making them feel ‘cleansed’ and in the mood for judging others. Given the inherent fluidity of H vacuus, trying to predict their behaviour beyond the present moment would be pure folly. H vacuus would be so mercurial that when they wed, they would effectively be marrying a stranger.
In the end, being the pawns of powerful environmental forces would compromise their ability to effectively plan and adapt. Others would recognise the impossibility of holding them responsible for their actions, as they could refuse to accept responsibility for their behaviour by claiming: ‘I was just responding to the situation!’ At the end of the day, religious, ethical and judicial systems would be largely irrelevant. In light of the many challenges facing H vacuus, it may be surprising to learn that this fictitious creature is based on an implicit assumption about human nature suggested by the work of numerous influential behavioural scientists.
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