Appendix: Studies and Further Reading

This list gathers the research and books behind the ideas in these pages, for readers who want to look further. It is a starting point, not a complete bibliography, and psychology is a living field in which findings are refined over time.

About these sources. This list identifies selected studies and books that informed the discussion in this book. Bibliographic details have been checked against available publisher, journal, or academic database records where indicated. Readers intending to cite a source formally should consult the original publication, particularly when an edition or reprint is involved.

Studies and papers mentioned in the text

• Abramowitz, J. S., Tolin, D. F., & Street, G. P. (2001). Paradoxical effects of thought suppression: A meta-analysis of controlled studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 21 (5), 683–703. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-7358(00)00057-X
• Baron, J., & Hershey, J. C. (1988). Outcome bias in decision evaluation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54 (4), 569–579. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54.4.569
• Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117 (3), 497–529. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497
• Baumeister, R. F., Bratslavsky, E., Finkenauer, C., & Vohs, K. D. (2001). Bad is stronger than good. Review of General Psychology, 5 (4), 323–370. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.5.4.323
• Berns, G. S., Chappelow, J., Cekic, M., Zink, C. F., Pagnoni, G., & Martin-Skurski, M. E. (2006). Neurobiological substrates of dread. Science, 312 (5774), 754–758. † https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1123721
• Bezos, J. (2016). 2015 letter to shareholders. Amazon.com, Inc. † (The one-way and two-way door passage appears in the 2015 letter.)
• Borkovec, T. D., Wilkinson, L., Folensbee, R., & Lerman, C. (1983). Stimulus control applications to the treatment of worry. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 21 (3), 247–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(83)90206-1
• Breines, J. G., & Chen, S. (2012). Self-compassion increases self-improvement motivation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38 (9), 1133–1143. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167212445599
• Brennan, K. A., Clark, C. L., & Shaver, P. R. (1998). Self-report measurement of adult romantic attachment: An integrative overview. In J. A. Simpson & W. S. Rholes (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 46–76). Guilford Press.
• Christensen, A., & Heavey, C. L. (1990). Gender and social structure in the demand/withdraw pattern of marital conflict. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59 (1), 73–81. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.59.1.73
• Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15 (3), 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0086006
• Clark, D. M., & Wells, A. (1995). A cognitive model of social phobia. In R. G. Heimberg, M. R. Liebowitz, D. A. Hope, & F. R. Schneier (Eds.), Social phobia: Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment (pp. 69–93). Guilford Press.
• Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C. C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2014.04.006
• Crocker, J., & Wolfe, C. T. (2001). Contingencies of self-worth. Psychological Review, 108 (3), 593–623. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.108.3.593
• Downey, G., & Feldman, S. I. (1996). Implications of rejection sensitivity for intimate relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70 (6), 1327–1343. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.70.6.1327
• Dugas, M. J., Gagnon, F., Ladouceur, R., & Freeston, M. H. (1998). Generalized anxiety disorder: A preliminary test of a conceptual model. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36 (2), 215–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(97)00070-3
• Ehring, T., & Watkins, E. R. (2008). Repetitive negative thinking as a transdiagnostic process. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 1 (3), 192–205. https://doi.org/10.1521/ijct.2008.1.3.192
• Eisenberger, N. I., Lieberman, M. D., & Williams, K. D. (2003). Does rejection hurt? An fMRI study of social exclusion. Science, 302 (5643), 290–292. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1089134
• Eysenck, M. W., Mogg, K., May, J., Richards, A., & Mathews, A. (1991). Bias in interpretation of ambiguous sentences related to threat in anxiety. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100 (2), 144–150. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.100.2.144
• Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7 (2), 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202
• Fischhoff, B. (1975). Hindsight ≠ foresight: The effect of outcome knowledge on judgment under uncertainty. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 1 (3), 288–299. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-1523.1.3.288
• Gilovich, T., & Medvec, V. H. (1995). The experience of regret: What, when, and why. Psychological Review, 102 (2), 379–395. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.102.2.379
• Gilovich, T., Medvec, V. H., & Savitsky, K. (2000). The spotlight effect in social judgment: An egocentric bias in estimates of the salience of one’s own actions and appearance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78 (2), 211–222. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.78.2.211
• Gilovich, T., Savitsky, K., & Medvec, V. H. (1998). The illusion of transparency: Biased assessments of others’ ability to read one’s emotional states. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75 (2), 332–346. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.75.2.332
• Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist, 54 (7), 493–503. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.7.493
• Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52 (3), 511–524. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.52.3.511
• Iyengar, S. S., & Lepper, M. R. (2000). When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79 (6), 995–1006. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.6.995
• Iyengar, S. S., Wells, R. E., & Schwartz, B. (2006). Doing better but feeling worse: Looking for the “best” job undermines satisfaction. Psychological Science, 17 (2), 143–150. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01677.x
• Jacobson, N. S., Martell, C. R., & Dimidjian, S. (2001). Behavioral activation treatment for depression: Returning to contextual roots. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 8 (3), 255–270. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.8.3.255
• Joiner, T. E., Jr., Metalsky, G. I., Katz, J., & Beach, S. R. H. (1999). Depression and excessive reassurance-seeking. Psychological Inquiry, 10 (3), 269–278. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1004_1
• Jordan, A. H., Monin, B., Dweck, C. S., Lovett, B. J., John, O. P., & Gross, J. J. (2011). Misery has more company than people think: Underestimating the prevalence of others’ negative emotions. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37 (1), 120–135. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167210390822
• Killingsworth, M. A., & Gilbert, D. T. (2010). A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Science, 330 (6006), 932. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1192439
• Kross, E., Bruehlman-Senecal, E., Park, J., Burson, A., Dougherty, A., Shablack, H., Bremner, R., Moser, J., & Ayduk, O. (2014). Self-talk as a regulatory mechanism: How you do it matters. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106 (2), 304–324. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035173
• Kruger, J., Epley, N., Parker, J., & Ng, Z.-W. (2005). Egocentrism over e-mail: Can we communicate as well as we think? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89 (6), 925–936. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.89.6.925
• Lewinsohn, P. M. (1974). A behavioral approach to depression. In R. J. Friedman & M. M. Katz (Eds.), The psychology of depression: Contemporary theory and research (pp. 157–178). Wiley.
• Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18 (5), 421–428. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x
• Marlatt, G. A., & Gordon, J. R. (Eds.). (1985). Relapse prevention: Maintenance strategies in the treatment of addictive behaviors. Guilford Press.
• Masuda, A., Hayes, S. C., Sackett, C. F., & Twohig, M. P. (2004). Cognitive defusion and self-relevant negative thoughts: Examining the impact of a ninety year old technique. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 42 (4), 477–485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2003.10.008
• Mathews, A., & MacLeod, C. (2005). Cognitive vulnerability to emotional disorders. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1, 167–195. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.1.102803.143916
• Neugarten, B. L., Moore, J. W., & Lowe, J. C. (1965). Age norms, age constraints, and adult socialization. American Journal of Sociology, 70 (6), 710–717. https://doi.org/10.1086/223965
• Newman, M. G., & Llera, S. J. (2011). A novel theory of experiential avoidance in generalized anxiety disorder: A review and synthesis of research supporting a contrast avoidance model of worry. Clinical Psychology Review, 31 (3), 371–382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.01.008
• Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Wisco, B. E., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). Rethinking rumination. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3 (5), 400–424. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2008.00088.x
• Norem, J. K., & Cantor, N. (1986). Defensive pessimism: Harnessing anxiety as motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51 (6), 1208–1217. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.51.6.1208
• Roese, N. J. (1997). Counterfactual thinking. Psychological Bulletin, 121 (1), 133–148. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.121.1.133
• Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 80 (1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0092976
• Scheibehenne, B., Greifeneder, R., & Todd, P. M. (2010). Can there ever be too many options? A meta-analytic review of choice overload. Journal of Consumer Research, 37 (3), 409–425. https://doi.org/10.1086/651235
• Schwartz, B., Ward, A., Monterosso, J., Lyubomirsky, S., White, K., & Lehman, D. R. (2002). Maximizing versus satisficing: Happiness is a matter of choice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83 (5), 1178–1197. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.83.5.1178
• Shafran, R., Cooper, Z., & Fairburn, C. G. (2002). Clinical perfectionism: A cognitive–behavioural analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40 (7), 773–791. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(01)00059-6
• Simon, H. A. (1956). Rational choice and the structure of the environment. Psychological Review, 63 (2), 129–138. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0042769
• Stoeber, J., & Otto, K. (2006). Positive conceptions of perfectionism: Approaches, evidence, challenges. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 10 (4), 295–319. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr1004_2
• Titchener, E. B. (1916). A text-book of psychology. Macmillan.
• Trapnell, P. D., & Campbell, J. D. (1999). Private self-consciousness and the five-factor model of personality: Distinguishing rumination from reflection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76 (2), 284–304. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.76.2.284
• van den Hout, M., & Kindt, M. (2003). Repeated checking causes memory distrust. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 41 (3), 301–316. † https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(02)00012-8
• van den Hout, M. A., van Dis, E. A. M., van Woudenberg, C., & van de Groep, I. H. (2019). OCD-like checking in the lab: A meta-analysis and improvement of an experimental paradigm. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 20, 39–49. † https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2017.11.006
• Verduyn, P., Lee, D. S., Park, J., Shablack, H., Orvell, A., Bayer, J., Ybarra, O., Jonides, J., & Kross, E. (2015). Passive Facebook usage undermines affective well-being: Experimental and longitudinal evidence. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 144 (2), 480–488. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000057
• Watkins, E. R. (2008). Constructive and unconstructive repetitive thought. Psychological Bulletin, 134 (2), 163–206. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.134.2.163
• Wegner, D. M. (1994). Ironic processes of mental control. Psychological Review, 101 (1), 34–52. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.101.1.34
• Wegner, D. M., Schneider, D. J., Carter, S. R., III, & White, T. L. (1987). Paradoxical effects of thought suppression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53 (1), 5–13. † https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.53.1.5
• Wilson, T. D., & Gilbert, D. T. (2005). Affective forecasting: Knowing what to want. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14 (3), 131–134. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00355.x

Books and further reading

• Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment. Erlbaum.
• Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.
• Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders. International Universities Press.
• Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. Basic Books.
• Burns, D. D. (1980). Feeling good: The new mood therapy. William Morrow.
• Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Restoring the character ethic. Simon & Schuster.
• Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row.
• Duke, A. (2018). Thinking in bets. Portfolio.
• Ellis, A. (1962). Reason and emotion in psychotherapy. L. Stuart.
• Epictetus. (1983). The handbook of Epictetus (N. P. White, Trans.). Hackett Publishing.
• Epley, N. (2014). Mindwise: How we understand what others think, believe, feel, and want. Knopf.
• Gilbert, D. (2006). Stumbling on happiness. Knopf.
• Gilbert, P. (2009). The compassionate mind. Constable.
• Greenberger, D., & Padesky, C. A. (2015). Mind over mood (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
• Hayes, S. C. (2005). Get out of your mind and into your life: The new acceptance and commitment therapy. New Harbinger.
• Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and commitment therapy. Guilford Press.
• Jack, D. C. (1991). Silencing the self: Women and depression. Harvard University Press.
• Johnson, S. (2008). Hold me tight. Little, Brown.
• Kross, E. (2021). Chatter: The voice in our head, why it matters, and how to harness it. Crown.
• Levine, A., & Heller, R. (2010). Attached. TarcherPerigee.
• Martell, C. R., Dimidjian, S., & Herman-Dunn, R. (2010). Behavioral activation for depression: A clinician’s guide. Guilford Press.
• McAdams, D. P. (2006). The redemptive self: Stories Americans live by. Oxford University Press.
• Mullainathan, S., & Shafir, E. (2013). Scarcity. Times Books.
• Neff, K. (2011). Self-compassion. William Morrow.
• Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2003). Women who think too much. Henry Holt.
• Schwartz, B. (2004). The paradox of choice. Ecco.
• Shafran, R., Egan, S., & Wade, T. (2010). Overcoming perfectionism. Robinson.
• Sifton, E. (2003). The serenity prayer: Faith and politics in times of peace and war. W. W. Norton.
• Sims, P. (2011). Little bets. Free Press.
• Tangney, J. P., & Dearing, R. L. (2002). Shame and guilt. Guilford Press.
• Wegner, D. M. (1989). White bears and other unwanted thoughts. Viking.
• Wells, A. (2009). Metacognitive therapy for anxiety and depression. Guilford Press.
• Worthington, E. L., Jr. (Ed.). (2005). Handbook of forgiveness. Routledge.

If your thoughts feel unmanageable, or if they come with panic, persistent low mood, intrusive thoughts, compulsions, or the aftermath of trauma, the best next step is not another book. It is a conversation with a doctor or a licensed mental health professional.