Avi Besser

     
Institution
Sapir Academic College

Current Position
Associate Professor of Psychology

Highest Degree
Ph.D. in Psychology from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 1999

Research Interests
Aggression
Applied Social Psychology
Attribution
Close Relationships
Emotion
Health
Interpersonal Processes
Motivation/Goal Setting
Personality
Research Methods/Assessment
Self/Identity
Social Cognition

Blog
Center for Research in Personality, Life Transitions, and Stressful Life Events

Courses Taught
Abnormal Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Introduction to Psychology
Personality Theories and Research
Personality Vulnerability and the Interpersonal Cont.

 
Avi Besser
Department of Behavioral Sciences
Sapir Academic College
79165 Hof Ashkelon
Israel

Home Page
Phone: (+972) 8-680286
Fax: (+972) 8-661078
Vita

Avi Besser
My main research interest is in the area of personality and social psychology, specifically, vulnerability factors to depression across the lifespan and interpersonal functioning. My research topics include: vulnerability factors in postpartum depression; attachment and psychological adjustment in children, adolescents, and mothers; perfectionism; self-criticism/dependency and depression and suicidality in older adults.

Consulting Editor, Individual Differences Research (IDR):

http://www.idr-journal.com/board.htm

Editorial Board, Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology (JSCP):

http://www.guilford.com/cgi-bin/cartscript.cgi?page=pr/jnsc.htm&sec=editorial_board


Journal Articles:

  • Besser, A. (2004). Self- and best-friend assessments of personality vulnerability and defenses in the prediction of depression. Social Behavior and Personality, 32, 559-594.
  • Besser, A., & Blatt, S. J. (2007). Identity consolidation and internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors in early adolescence. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 24, 126-149.
  • Besser, A., Flett, G. L., Hewitt, P. L., & Guez, J. (2008). Perfectionism, and cognitions, affect, self-esteem, and physiological reactions in a performance situation. Journal of Rational Emotive Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
  • Besser, A., Guez, J., & Priel, B. (2008). The associations between self-criticism and dependency and incidental learning of interpersonal and achievement words. Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 1696-1710.
  • Besser, A., & Priel, B. (2009). Emotional responses to a romantic partner's imaginary rejection: The roles of attachment anxiety, covert narcissism, and self-evaluation. Journal of Personality, 77, 287-325.
  • Besser, A., & Priel, B. (2008). Attachment, depression, and fear of death in older adults: The roles of neediness and perceived availability of social support. Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 1711-1725.
  • Besser, A., & Priel, B. (2005). The apple does not fall far from the tree: Attachment styles and personality vulnerabilities to depression in three generations of women. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 1052-1073.
  • Besser, A., & Priel, B. (2003). A multisource approach to self-critical vulnerability to depression: The moderating role of attachment. Journal of Personality, 71, 515-555.
  • Besser, A., Priel, B., Flett, L. G., & Wiznitzer A. (2007). Linear and nonlinear models of vulnerability to depression: Personality and postpartum depression in a high risk population. Individual Differences Research, 5, 1-29.
  • Besser, A., Vliegen, N., Luyten, P., & Blatt, S. J. (2008). Systematic empirical investigation of vulnerability to postpartum depression from a psychodynamic perspective: Commentary on issues raised by Blum (2007). Psychoanalytic Psychology, 25, 392-410.
  • Blatt, S. J., Besser, A., & Ford, R. Q. (2007). Two primary configurations of psychopathology and change in thought disorder in long-term intensive inpatient treatment of seriously disturbed young adults. American Journal of Psychiatry, 164, 1561-1567.
  • Flett, G. L., Besser, A., & Hewitt, P. L. (2005). Perfectionism, ego defense styles, and depression: A comparison of self-reports versus informant ratings. Journal of Personality, 73, 1355-1396.
  • Priel, B., & Besser, A. (2000). Dependency and self-criticism among first-time mothers: The roles of global and specific support. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 19, 437-450.
  • Sherry, S. B., Hewitt, P. L., Besser, A., Flett, G. L., & Klein, C. (2006). Machiavellianism, trait perfectionism, and perfectionistic self-presentation. Personality and Individual Differences, 40, 829-839.
  • Waniel, A., Besser, A., & Priel, B. (2006). Mother and self-representations: Investigating associations with symptomatic behavior and academic competence in middle childhood. Journal of Personality, 74, 223-266.

 Page last edited by profile holder: September 17, 2009
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