ABSTRACT
This chapter systematically investigates how existing research in Personality and Social Psychology most relevant to the assessment of others-centeredness enhances our understanding of the trait, and identifies promising avenues for the trait’s future study in these fields. While there is no existing program of scientific research into others-centeredness as such, several constructs with salient dimensions of overlap with others-centeredness have been studied, including hypo-egoic phenomena and communal and self-sacrificial orientations. The interest these phenomena have received, together with the fruitfulness of their study, speaks favorably of the interest and value there may be in inaugurating the scientific study of others-centeredness, and points forward toward the development of research instruments that could be constructed to identify highly others-centered individuals. In addition, the large literature on prosocial behavior is highly informative for cautiously identifying predictors and predictions of others-centeredness. The chapter suggests that this literature provides reason for thinking that predictors of others-centeredness will include secure attachments, lack of self-preoccupation, high empathic concern, and an expansive sense of social responsibility, while the literature provides reason for thinking that others-centeredness will in turn predict meaningfulness, subjective well-being, stable and healthy relationships, and positive social perceptions.
