What is the word on self-motives and social perception: Introduction to the special issue

Although social, personality, and developmental psychologists have focused on the determinants, processes, and outcomes of social perception on the on e hand and self-perception on the other they have only occasionally explore d the relations between the two. In this introduction, I explain how this s pecial issue is designed to explore the links between self- and social perc eption. In particular I suggest that perceptions of self and the social wor ld are intrinsically linked because each are influenced by the exact same s elf-motives, such as the desire to achieve beneficial outcomes for the self or to maintain the psychic benefits of a positive self-image. Each in its own way, the articles that comprise this special issue illustrate this basi c link between the self- and social perception.