ABSTRACT
In the target chapter for this volume, William and Claire McGuire present a model of what thought systems contain, how they are structured, and how they operate. The model is based on the fundamental premise that thought serves an adaptive function and that thought systems are organized and operate in response to organismic adaptation. From this grounding flows content in the form of antecedents and consequences related to core (i.e., important to adaptation) beliefs; structure, in the form of rules governing the relationship between content and the dimensions on which they are projected; and dynamics, in the form of principles dictating what content will be called to mind at a given time. The dynamic coping and linkage principles are also grounded in psychological theory and research. The result is a complete and satisfying picture of the psychology of social thought. Equally complete and satisfying is the set of empirical studies accompanying (and generally supporting) the theory.
