Mark Leary

Background

About Mark Leary

I am a social and personality psychologist who studies social motivation and emotion, with an emphasis on people’s concerns with others' evaluations of them and the negative effects of excessive self-focused thought. My research and writing have focused on topics such as impression management, social emotions (including social anxiety, embarrassment, and hurt feelings), interpersonal rejection, self-esteem, the dysfunctional effects of self-preoccupation, and, most recently, intellectual humility. I have also created video courses entitled "Understanding the Mysteries of Human Behavior,""Why You Are Who You Are," and "Your Public Persona: Self-presentation in Everyday Life" as part of the Teaching Company's Great Courses series. I am a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. I was the founding editor of Self and Identity, editor of Personality and Social Psychology Review, and president of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. I received the 2011 Lifetime Career Award from the International Society for Self and Identity, the 2015 Scientific Impact Award from the Society for Experimental Social Psychology, and the 2021 Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society for Experimental Social Psychology, Although I retired from Duke University in 2019, I remain somewhat active in professional affairs while also spending more time in activities such as grandkids and playing drums in a rock band.