Social referencing informs and regulates one’s relation with the environment as a function of the perceived appraisals of social partners. Increased emphasis on relational and social contexts in the study of emotion makes this interpersonal process particularly relevant to the field. However, theoretical conceptualizations and empirical operationalizations of social referencing are disjointed across domains and populations of study. This article seeks to unite and refine the study of this construct by providing a clear and comprehensive definition of social referencing. Our (...) perspective presents social referencing and social appraisal as coterminous processes and emphasizes the importance of a relational and interpersonal approach to the study of emotion. We conclude by outlining possible lines of research on this construct. (shrink)

This paper argues that insights into infant emotional development, particularly the capacity to engage with rupture and repair, can be applied to the understanding and promotion of flourishing in later life, individually and socially. Starting with the Queen’s visit to the Republic of Ireland as an example of successful social repair after rupture that enables flourishing, the paper goes on to outline some relevant psychological theory that undergirds this. It then considers some of the practical relevance and problems that apply (...) to rupture and repair in the contemporary world, particularly the world of health care, Amidst the inevitable messiness of life, flourishing and growth can only be achieved with the kind of flexibility implied by creating repair in the face of rupture. (shrink)