Phillip R. Shaver is an American social psychologist best known for his work on attachment theory, close relationships, and emotion. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of California, Davis.
Early life and education Shaver was raised in a working-class family in Iowa. He was admitted at Wesleyan University, where he graduated summa cum laude as valedictorian with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1966. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1970.
Academic career Following his doctoral studies, Shaver held academic appointments at several major universities. He began as an assistant professor at Columbia University, later becoming an associate professor at New York University. He then held a full professorship at the University of Denver before joining the State University of New York at Buffalo. Eventually, he became a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Davis, where he taught until his retirement in 2014.
Research Shaver’s work has significantly advanced the field of social psychology, particularly in the areas of attachment theory and the psychology of emotion. He applied Bowlby and Ainsworth’s attachment theory to adult romantic relationships, examining themes such as couple communication, grief and loss, and mental representations related to attachment. His later work explored the implications of attachment theory for leadership, religion, and organizational behavior. In emotion research, Shaver employed prototype methodology to map the cognitive structure of emotions and conducted cross-cultural studies on the conceptualization of emotions such as love and shame.
Selected publications Robinson, J. P., Shaver, P. R., & Wrightsman, L. S. (Eds.). (1999). Measures of social psychological attitudes, Vol. 2: Measures of political attitudes. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Cassidy, J., & Shaver, P. R. (Eds.). (1999). Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications. New York: Guilford Press. Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2010). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change. New York: Guilford Press. Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (Eds.). (2010). Prosocial motives, emotions, and behavior: The better angels of our nature. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Shaver, P. R., & Mikulincer, M. (Eds.). (2010). Human aggression and violence: Causes, manifestations, and consequences. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Cassidy, J., & Shaver, P. R. (Eds.). (2010). Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press. Shaver, P. R., & Mikulincer, M. (Eds.). (2012). Meaning, mortality, and choice: The social psychology of existential concerns. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2023). Attachment Theory Expanded: Security Dynamics in Individuals, Dyads, Groups, and Societies. New York: Guilford Press.
Honors
Awards Elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2023) Distinguished Career Award, Society of Experimental Social Psychology (2015) Research Influence Award, Society for Personality and Social Psychology Distinguished Career Award and International Mentoring Award, International Association for Relationship Research
Fellowships American Psychological Association (Divisions 8 and 9) Association for Psychological Science Western Psychological Association Association for Research in Personality Society for Personality and Social Psychology (fellow) Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
Personal life Shaver is married to Dr. Gail Goodman, a psychologist known for pioneering research on child eyewitness testimony. The couple has twin daughters, born in 1996.
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