Madoka Kumashiro, BA BSc MA PhD
Position held:
Lecturer
Phone:
+44 (0)20 7919 7896
Fax:
+44 (0)20 7919 7873
Email:
m.kumashiro (@gold.ac.uk)
Room 411 Whitehead Building,
Psychology Department,
Goldsmiths, University of London,
New Cross, SE14 6NW, UK
Social psychology and personality – “self” in interpersonal contexts: close relationships and motivation; personality and interpersonal processes; balancing personal and relational needs; personal and relational well-being.
Research interests
My primary research interests concern "self processes" in interpersonal settings. Specifically, how do significant others and relationships influence personal growth and motivate individuals to achieve their most important goals, dreams, and aspirations? And how do self-relevant phenomena influence interaction and interdependence in relationships? Across these lines of research, I examine processes with implications for both personal well-being (e.g., subjective well-being, psychological health, personal growth) and relational well-being (e.g., dyadic adjustment and satisfaction).
My current research focuses on three areas:
1) Michelangelo Phenomenon: According to the sculptor Michelangelo, "ideal forms" slumber within blocks of marble; the sculptor's job is simply to chip away the excess stone in such a manner as to reveal the ideal form. Analogously, humans possess slumbering ideal forms – the ideal self to which each individual aspires. Comparable to blocks of stone, the ideal self often requires assistance in its efforts to emerge. This research examines the various ways in which close partners facilitate movement toward the ideal self, through examining different processes such as partner responsiveness, type of support provision, partner characteristics, and conflicting interests of the partners.
2) Influence of Individual Differences on Self and Relationship Processes: How do individual differences (e.g., self-respect, self-esteem, self-concept clarity, attachment styles, self-regulatory styles, and narcissism) affect behaviour in close relationships and how close relationship partners behave toward the self? This research examines various ways that personality influences important self and relationship processes.
3) Maintaining an equilibrium between personal and relational concerns: In romantic relationships, it is often difficult to simultaneously gratify important needs in two of the most powerful and central sources of human concerns: personal and relational. It is inevitable that individuals will sometimes confront the choice between engaging in behaviours that promote personal well-being (e.g., working long hours, spending time with friends) versus relational well-being (e.g., spending time together, supporting partner’s career aspirations). How individuals resolve such personal-relational conflicts may have important implications for both personal and relational well-being. The personal-relational equilibrium model predicts that individuals are motivated to regulate their behavior to maintain equilibrium between the personal and relational domains.
Selected publications
Hannon, Peggy, Rusbult, Caryl, Finkel, Eli J. and Kumashiro, Madoka. 2010. In the wake of betrayal: Amends, forgiveness, and the resolution of betrayal. Personal Relationships, 17(2), pp. 253-278. ISSN 13504126 [Article]
Coolsen, Michael K., Kumashiro, Madoka and Quesenberry, Keith A.. 2010. Not just the best years of my life: personal growth in higher education. Journal of International Business Disciplines, 4(2), pp. 1-15. ISSN 1934-1814 [Article]
Luchies, Laura B., Finkel, Eli J., McNulty, James K. and Kumashiro, Madoka. 2010. The doormat effect: When forgiving erodes self-respect and self-concept clarity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(5), pp. 734-749. ISSN 0022-3514 [Article]
Rusbult, Caryl, Finkel, Eli J. and Kumashiro, Madoka. 2009. The Michelangelo phenomenon. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(6), pp. 305-309. ISSN 09637214 [Article]
Finkel, Eli J., Campbell, Keith W., Buffardi, Laura E., Kumashiro, Madoka and Rusbult, Caryl. 2009. The metamorphosis of Narcissus: communal activation promotes relationship commitment among Narcissists. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35(10), pp. 1271-1284. ISSN 0146-1672 [Article]
Molden, Daniel C., Lucas, Gale M., Finkel, Eli J., Kumashiro, Madoka and Rusbult, Caryl. 2009. Perceived support for promotion-focused and prevention-focused goals: associations with well-being in unmarried and married couples. Psychological Science, 20(7), pp. 787-793. ISSN 09567976 [Article]
Kumashiro, Madoka. 2009. Responsiveness. In: Harry T. Reiss and Susan Sprecher, eds. Encyclopedia of human relationships. 3 Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage, pp. 1373-1376. ISBN 9781412958462 [Book Section]
Rusbult, Caryl, Kumashiro, Madoka, Kubacka, Kaska E. and Finkel, Eli J.. 2009. "The part of me that you bring out": Ideal similarity and the Michelangelo phenomenon. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(1), pp. 61-82. ISSN 0022-3514 [Article]
Coolsen, Michael K. and Kumashiro, Madoka. 2009. Self-image congruence models conceptualized as a product affirmation process. Advances in Consumer Research, 36, p. 980. ISSN 0098-9258 [Article]
Gregg, Aiden P., Hart, Claire M., Sedikides, Constantine and Kumashiro, Madoka. 2008. Everyday conceptions of modesty: a prototype analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(7), pp. 978-992. ISSN 0146-1672 [Article]
Kumashiro, Madoka, Rusbult, Caryl and Finkel, Eli J.. 2008. Navigating personal and relational concerns: the quest for equilibrium. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(1), pp. 94-110. ISSN 0022-3514 [Article]
Kumashiro, Madoka, Rusbult, Caryl, Finkenauer, Catrin and Stocker, Shevaun L.. 2007. To think or to do: the impact of assessment and locomotion orientation on the Michelangelo phenomenon. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 24(4), pp. 591-611. ISSN 0265-4075 [Article]
Kumashiro, Madoka, Rusbult, Caryl, Wolff, Scott T. and Estrada , Marie-Joelle. 2006. The Michelangelo phenomenon: partner affirmation and self movement toward one's ideal. In: Kathleen D. Vohs and Eli J. Finkel, eds. Self and relationships: connecting intrapersonal and interpersonal processes. New York: Guildford Press, pp. 317-341. ISBN 978-1-59385-271-9 [Book Section]
Kumashiro, Madoka, Neiss, M., Stevenson, J. and Sedikides, C.. 2005. Executive self, self-esteem, and negative affectivity: Relations at the phenotypic and genotypic level. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(4), pp. 593-606. ISSN 00223514 [Article]
Kumashiro, Madoka and Sedikides, C.. 2005. Taking on board liability-focused information: Close positive relationships as a self-bolstering resource. Psychological Science, 16(9), pp. 732-739. ISSN 09567976 [Article]
Kumashiro, Madoka, Rusbult, Caryl, Wolff, Scott T. and Estrada , Marie-Joelle. 2004. The Michelangelo phenomenon in close relationships. In: Abraham Tesser, Joanne Wood and Diederik Stapel, eds. On building, defending, and regulating the self. New York and London: Psychology Press, pp. 1-29. ISBN 978-1-84169-405-4 [Book Section]
Sedikides, Constantine, Rudich, Eric A., Gregg, Aiden P., Kumashiro, Madoka and Rusbult, Caryl. 2004. Are normal narcissists psychologically healthy? Self-esteem matters. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87(3), pp. 400-416. ISSN 00223514 [Article]
Rusbult, Caryl, Kumashiro, Madoka, Coolsen, Michael K. and Kirchner, J.. 2004. Interdependence, closeness and relationships. In: Deborah Mashek and Artur Aron, eds. The handbook of closeness and intimacy. New York: Psychology Press, pp. 137-161. ISBN 978-0-8058-4285-2 [Book Section]
Kumashiro, Madoka, Finkel, Eli J. and Rusbult, Caryl. 2002. Self-Respect and pro-relationship behavior in marital relationships. Journal of Personality, 70(6), pp. 1009-1050. ISSN 00223506 [Article]
Rusbult, Caryl, Kumashiro, Madoka, Finkel, Eli J. and Wildschut, Tim. 2002. The war of the roses: an interdependence analysis of betrayal and forgiveness. In: Patricia Noller and Judith A. Feeney, eds. Understanding marriage: developments in the study of couple interaction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 251-284. ISBN 9780521803700 [Book Section]
Finkel, E., Rusbult, C., Kumashiro, Madoka and Hannon, P.. 2002. Dealing with betrayal in close relationships: Does commitment promote forgiveness of betrayal? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(6), pp. 956-974. ISSN 00223514 [Article]