Erica G Hepper
Biographic Data
| ID | 2289095 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Erica G Hepper |
| GIVEN NAMES | Erica G |
| FAMILY NAME | Hepper |
| SIGNATURE | HEPPER E G |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Surrey |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4587-5866 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 22 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 46 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 22 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Attachment Orientation and the Landscape of Nostalgia
We examined whether the attachment dimensions of avoidance and anxiety predict the content of nostalgic recollections and accompanying well-being benefits. For this purpose, we developed a coding scheme to evaluate written narratives of nostalgic memories across three themes: self, others, affect. In Study 1 ( N = 431), all participants narrated a nostalgic event and completed an attachment orientation measure. Participants lower (vs. higher) on …
Self in relationships, nostalgically
Concerned with the interplay between the self and close relationships, we examined whether nostalgia, a wistful affection for one’s past, enhances self-esteem indirectly by fostering social connectedness. We also explored the boundaries of this effect across demographic, cultural, and situational contexts. Across four experiments, we manipulated nostalgia using either a guided recollection exercise (i.e., Event Reflection Task; Experiments 1–3) o…
Strategies for maintaining a positive body image in the face of stigma
This study aimed to explore how individuals with obesity, who have a positive body image (an accepting and favourable view of the body), maintain this positive image in the face of weight stigma. A qualitative methodology was used to explore the experiences of 16 individuals (11 women; 5 men) using one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Four themes were developed using Thematic Analysis: Experiences of stigma, Self-evaluative cognitive strategies…
Are they out to get me? Individual differences in nonclinical paranoia as a function of narcissism and defensive self‐protection
Objective Three studies tested a novel model of the narcissism‐paranoia link, whereby narcissism (primarily its socially maladaptive facets) is associated with paranoia via over‐use of defensive self‐protection and/or under‐use of self‐affirmation. Methods In Study 1, 245 online volunteers (87% female; M AGE = 20.92; 44% White‐British) completed trait measures of narcissism, self‐enhancement/protection strategies and paranoia. In Study 2, 116 stu…
Romantic nostalgia as a resource for healthy relationships
Nostalgia is an emotion that confers psychological benefits. The literature has neglected romantic nostalgia-that is, nostalgia specifically for past experiences shared with one's partner-and its potential advantages for relationships. We examined romantic nostalgia in one correlational study, two experiments, and one daily diary study ( N = 638). Romantic nostalgia was positively associated with greater relationship commitment, satisfaction, and…
Time capsule
Nostalgia is a bittersweet-albeit predominantly positive-self-relevant and social emotion that arises from reflecting on fond and meaningful autobiographical memories. Nostalgia might facilitate successful aging by serving as a socioemotional selectivity strategy in the face of limited time horizons. Four studies tested the role of nostalgia in maintaining psychological wellbeing across the adult life span and across differing time perspectives. …
When is narcissism associated with low empathy? A meta-analytic review
Equality in theory
Since 1970, research on romantic relationships has burgeoned, but its theories and methods were shaped by a heteronormative cultural context. Heteronormativity is an ideology that implicitly holds that heterosexuality is, and should be, the only, dominant, or taken-for-granted sexuality for all. The movement towards sexual equality, particularly legal recognition of equal marriage, now allows psychologists to investigate romantic love in a more e…
Attachment dimensions and forgiveness of others
Forgiveness, as a response to interpersonal transgressions, has multiple societal and individual benefits. Individual differences in attachment have been identified as a predictor not only of forgiveness but of state responses frequently associated with forgiveness. The current meta-analysis is the first systematic analysis of the effect of attachment dimensions (i.e., anxiety and avoidance) on forgiveness of others. Analysis of published and unp…
Narcissism, accountability and self-reported weight
Nostalgia motivates pursuit of important goals by increasing meaning in life
This research focused on existential and motivational implications of the emotion of nostalgia. Nostalgia (relative to control) increased meaning in life, which, in turn, galvanised intentions to pursue one's most important goal (Experiment 1) and to pursue one's most important, but not least important, goal (Experiment 2). The basic pattern held in two cultures (British and Danish) independently of positive affect. This is the first evidence tha…
Nostalgia fosters self-continuity
Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for one's past, is an emotion that arises from self-relevant and social memories. Nostalgia functions, in part, to foster self-continuity, that is, a sense of connection between one's past and one's present. This article examined, in 6 experiments, how nostalgia fosters self-continuity and the implications of that process for well-being. Nostalgia fosters self-continuity by augmenting social connectedness, that is…
To Nostalgize
The Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding Short Form (Bidr-16)
Self-report studies often call for assessment of socially desirable responding. Many researchers use the Marlowe-Crowne Scale for its brief versions; however, this scale is outdated, and contemporary models of social desirability emphasize its multi-dimensional nature. The 40-item Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) incorporates Self-Deceptive Enhancement (honest but overly positive responding) and Impression Management (bias toward…
Pancultural nostalgia
Nostalgia is a frequently experienced complex emotion, understood by laypersons in the United Kingdom and United States of America to (a) refer prototypically to fond, self-relevant, social memories and (b) be more pleasant (e.g., happy, warm) than unpleasant (e.g., sad, regretful). This research examined whether people across cultures conceive of nostalgia in the same way. Students in 18 countries across 5 continents (N = 1,704) rated the protot…
Back to the Future
This research examined the proposition that nostalgia is not simply a past-oriented emotion, but its scope extends into the future, and, in particular, a positive future. We adopted a convergent validation approach, using multiple methods to assess the relation between nostalgia and optimism. Study 1 tested whether nostalgic narratives entail traces of optimism; indeed, nostalgic (compared with ordinary) narratives contained more expressions of o…
Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection Strategies in China
The motive to enhance and protect positive views of the self manifests in a variety of cognitive and behavioral strategies, but its universality versus cultural specificity is debated by scholars. We sought to inform this debate by soliciting self-reports of the four principal types of self-enhancement and self-protection strategy (positivity embracement, favorable construals, self-affirming reflections, defensiveness) from a Chinese sample and c…
The self‐esteem roller coaster
People with different attachment orientations rely on different sources of self‐esteem. This 14‐day diary study examined the impact of different types of feedback on self‐esteem for adults of different attachment orientations. Consistent with theory, higher (vs. lower) anxious participants' daily self‐esteem fluctuated more with daily interpersonal feedback conveying rejection or coming from a romantic partner; they also self‐reported stronger re…
Odyssey's end
Nostalgia fulfills pivotal functions for individuals, but lacks an empirically derived and comprehensive definition. We examined lay conceptions of nostalgia using a prototype approach. In Study 1, participants generated open-ended features of nostalgia, which were coded into categories. In Study 2, participants rated the centrality of these categories, which were subsequently classified as central (e.g., memories, relationships, happiness) or pe…
Quantifying self-motives
Previous research has sought to establish the existence, or gauge the relative strength, of key self-evaluation motives (i.e., self-enhancement, self-verification, self-assessment, self-improvement). Here, we attempted, across five samples, to quantify individual differences in self-motive strength and explore their empirical ramifications. We devised brief self-report indices for each self-motive and checked their factor structure, reliability, …
Individual Differences in Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection Strategies
Research has identified a large number of strategies that people use to self-enhance or self-protect. We aimed for an empirical integration of these strategies. Two studies used self-report items to assess all commonly recognized self-enhancement or self-protection strategies. In Study 1 (N=345), exploratory factor analysis identified 4 reliable factors. In Study 2 (N=416), this model was validated using confirmatory factor analysis. The factors …
Adult attachment and feedback‐seeking patterns in relationships and work
Adults with different attachment orientations rely on different areas of life to maintain self‐views. This paper reports two studies that examine the link between attachment and feedback‐seeking patterns in interpersonal and competence‐related domains. Participants in Study 1 imagined receiving feedback from a friend. Participants in Study 2 completed dyadic tasks and were promised feedback from interpersonal‐ and competence‐relevant sources. Acr…
The Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding Short Form (Bidr-16)
Self-report studies often call for assessment of socially desirable responding. Many researchers use the Marlowe-Crowne Scale for its brief versions; however, this scale is outdated, and contemporary models of social desirability emphasize its multi-dimensional nature. The 40-item Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) incorporates Self-Deceptive Enhancement (honest but overly positive responding) and Impression Management (bias toward…
Nostalgia motivates pursuit of important goals by increasing meaning in life
This research focused on existential and motivational implications of the emotion of nostalgia. Nostalgia (relative to control) increased meaning in life, which, in turn, galvanised intentions to pursue one's most important goal (Experiment 1) and to pursue one's most important, but not least important, goal (Experiment 2). The basic pattern held in two cultures (British and Danish) independently of positive affect. This is the first evidence tha…
Romantic nostalgia as a resource for healthy relationships
Nostalgia is an emotion that confers psychological benefits. The literature has neglected romantic nostalgia-that is, nostalgia specifically for past experiences shared with one's partner-and its potential advantages for relationships. We examined romantic nostalgia in one correlational study, two experiments, and one daily diary study ( N = 638). Romantic nostalgia was positively associated with greater relationship commitment, satisfaction, and…
Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection Strategies in China
The motive to enhance and protect positive views of the self manifests in a variety of cognitive and behavioral strategies, but its universality versus cultural specificity is debated by scholars. We sought to inform this debate by soliciting self-reports of the four principal types of self-enhancement and self-protection strategy (positivity embracement, favorable construals, self-affirming reflections, defensiveness) from a Chinese sample and c…
Attachment dimensions and forgiveness of others
Forgiveness, as a response to interpersonal transgressions, has multiple societal and individual benefits. Individual differences in attachment have been identified as a predictor not only of forgiveness but of state responses frequently associated with forgiveness. The current meta-analysis is the first systematic analysis of the effect of attachment dimensions (i.e., anxiety and avoidance) on forgiveness of others. Analysis of published and unp…
Quantifying self-motives
Previous research has sought to establish the existence, or gauge the relative strength, of key self-evaluation motives (i.e., self-enhancement, self-verification, self-assessment, self-improvement). Here, we attempted, across five samples, to quantify individual differences in self-motive strength and explore their empirical ramifications. We devised brief self-report indices for each self-motive and checked their factor structure, reliability, …
Adult attachment and feedback‐seeking patterns in relationships and work
Adults with different attachment orientations rely on different areas of life to maintain self‐views. This paper reports two studies that examine the link between attachment and feedback‐seeking patterns in interpersonal and competence‐related domains. Participants in Study 1 imagined receiving feedback from a friend. Participants in Study 2 completed dyadic tasks and were promised feedback from interpersonal‐ and competence‐relevant sources. Acr…
Individual Differences in Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection Strategies
Research has identified a large number of strategies that people use to self-enhance or self-protect. We aimed for an empirical integration of these strategies. Two studies used self-report items to assess all commonly recognized self-enhancement or self-protection strategies. In Study 1 (N=345), exploratory factor analysis identified 4 reliable factors. In Study 2 (N=416), this model was validated using confirmatory factor analysis. The factors …
Adult attachment and feedback‐seeking patterns in relationships and work
Adults with different attachment orientations rely on different areas of life to maintain self‐views. This paper reports two studies that examine the link between attachment and feedback‐seeking patterns in interpersonal and competence‐related domains. Participants in Study 1 imagined receiving feedback from a friend. Participants in Study 2 completed dyadic tasks and were promised feedback from interpersonal‐ and competence‐relevant sources. Acr…
The self‐esteem roller coaster
People with different attachment orientations rely on different sources of self‐esteem. This 14‐day diary study examined the impact of different types of feedback on self‐esteem for adults of different attachment orientations. Consistent with theory, higher (vs. lower) anxious participants' daily self‐esteem fluctuated more with daily interpersonal feedback conveying rejection or coming from a romantic partner; they also self‐reported stronger re…
Odyssey's end
Nostalgia fulfills pivotal functions for individuals, but lacks an empirically derived and comprehensive definition. We examined lay conceptions of nostalgia using a prototype approach. In Study 1, participants generated open-ended features of nostalgia, which were coded into categories. In Study 2, participants rated the centrality of these categories, which were subsequently classified as central (e.g., memories, relationships, happiness) or pe…
Quantifying self-motives
Previous research has sought to establish the existence, or gauge the relative strength, of key self-evaluation motives (i.e., self-enhancement, self-verification, self-assessment, self-improvement). Here, we attempted, across five samples, to quantify individual differences in self-motive strength and explore their empirical ramifications. We devised brief self-report indices for each self-motive and checked their factor structure, reliability, …
Back to the Future
This research examined the proposition that nostalgia is not simply a past-oriented emotion, but its scope extends into the future, and, in particular, a positive future. We adopted a convergent validation approach, using multiple methods to assess the relation between nostalgia and optimism. Study 1 tested whether nostalgic narratives entail traces of optimism; indeed, nostalgic (compared with ordinary) narratives contained more expressions of o…
Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection Strategies in China
The motive to enhance and protect positive views of the self manifests in a variety of cognitive and behavioral strategies, but its universality versus cultural specificity is debated by scholars. We sought to inform this debate by soliciting self-reports of the four principal types of self-enhancement and self-protection strategy (positivity embracement, favorable construals, self-affirming reflections, defensiveness) from a Chinese sample and c…
Pancultural nostalgia
Nostalgia is a frequently experienced complex emotion, understood by laypersons in the United Kingdom and United States of America to (a) refer prototypically to fond, self-relevant, social memories and (b) be more pleasant (e.g., happy, warm) than unpleasant (e.g., sad, regretful). This research examined whether people across cultures conceive of nostalgia in the same way. Students in 18 countries across 5 continents (N = 1,704) rated the protot…
To Nostalgize
The Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding Short Form (Bidr-16)
Self-report studies often call for assessment of socially desirable responding. Many researchers use the Marlowe-Crowne Scale for its brief versions; however, this scale is outdated, and contemporary models of social desirability emphasize its multi-dimensional nature. The 40-item Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) incorporates Self-Deceptive Enhancement (honest but overly positive responding) and Impression Management (bias toward…
Nostalgia fosters self-continuity
Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for one's past, is an emotion that arises from self-relevant and social memories. Nostalgia functions, in part, to foster self-continuity, that is, a sense of connection between one's past and one's present. This article examined, in 6 experiments, how nostalgia fosters self-continuity and the implications of that process for well-being. Nostalgia fosters self-continuity by augmenting social connectedness, that is…
Narcissism, accountability and self-reported weight
Nostalgia motivates pursuit of important goals by increasing meaning in life
This research focused on existential and motivational implications of the emotion of nostalgia. Nostalgia (relative to control) increased meaning in life, which, in turn, galvanised intentions to pursue one's most important goal (Experiment 1) and to pursue one's most important, but not least important, goal (Experiment 2). The basic pattern held in two cultures (British and Danish) independently of positive affect. This is the first evidence tha…
Equality in theory
Since 1970, research on romantic relationships has burgeoned, but its theories and methods were shaped by a heteronormative cultural context. Heteronormativity is an ideology that implicitly holds that heterosexuality is, and should be, the only, dominant, or taken-for-granted sexuality for all. The movement towards sexual equality, particularly legal recognition of equal marriage, now allows psychologists to investigate romantic love in a more e…
Attachment dimensions and forgiveness of others
Forgiveness, as a response to interpersonal transgressions, has multiple societal and individual benefits. Individual differences in attachment have been identified as a predictor not only of forgiveness but of state responses frequently associated with forgiveness. The current meta-analysis is the first systematic analysis of the effect of attachment dimensions (i.e., anxiety and avoidance) on forgiveness of others. Analysis of published and unp…
Time capsule
Nostalgia is a bittersweet-albeit predominantly positive-self-relevant and social emotion that arises from reflecting on fond and meaningful autobiographical memories. Nostalgia might facilitate successful aging by serving as a socioemotional selectivity strategy in the face of limited time horizons. Four studies tested the role of nostalgia in maintaining psychological wellbeing across the adult life span and across differing time perspectives. …
When is narcissism associated with low empathy? A meta-analytic review
Are they out to get me? Individual differences in nonclinical paranoia as a function of narcissism and defensive self‐protection
Objective Three studies tested a novel model of the narcissism‐paranoia link, whereby narcissism (primarily its socially maladaptive facets) is associated with paranoia via over‐use of defensive self‐protection and/or under‐use of self‐affirmation. Methods In Study 1, 245 online volunteers (87% female; M AGE = 20.92; 44% White‐British) completed trait measures of narcissism, self‐enhancement/protection strategies and paranoia. In Study 2, 116 stu…
Romantic nostalgia as a resource for healthy relationships
Nostalgia is an emotion that confers psychological benefits. The literature has neglected romantic nostalgia-that is, nostalgia specifically for past experiences shared with one's partner-and its potential advantages for relationships. We examined romantic nostalgia in one correlational study, two experiments, and one daily diary study ( N = 638). Romantic nostalgia was positively associated with greater relationship commitment, satisfaction, and…
Strategies for maintaining a positive body image in the face of stigma
This study aimed to explore how individuals with obesity, who have a positive body image (an accepting and favourable view of the body), maintain this positive image in the face of weight stigma. A qualitative methodology was used to explore the experiences of 16 individuals (11 women; 5 men) using one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Four themes were developed using Thematic Analysis: Experiences of stigma, Self-evaluative cognitive strategies…
Attachment Orientation and the Landscape of Nostalgia
We examined whether the attachment dimensions of avoidance and anxiety predict the content of nostalgic recollections and accompanying well-being benefits. For this purpose, we developed a coding scheme to evaluate written narratives of nostalgic memories across three themes: self, others, affect. In Study 1 ( N = 431), all participants narrated a nostalgic event and completed an attachment orientation measure. Participants lower (vs. higher) on …
Self in relationships, nostalgically
Concerned with the interplay between the self and close relationships, we examined whether nostalgia, a wistful affection for one’s past, enhances self-esteem indirectly by fostering social connectedness. We also explored the boundaries of this effect across demographic, cultural, and situational contexts. Across four experiments, we manipulated nostalgia using either a guided recollection exercise (i.e., Event Reflection Task; Experiments 1–3) o…
Psychology (20 works) · Social Psychology (19 works) · Nostalgia and Consumer Behavior (10 works) · Social Psychology (8 works) · Developmental psychology (7 works) · Media, Gender, and Advertising (7 works) · Media Influence and Health (5 works) · Narcissism (5 works) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics (4 works) · Clinical Psychology (4 works)