Existential Meaning and Terror Management

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheldon Solomon ◽  
Jeff Greenberg
Keyword(s):  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Psychological Disorders ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Cultural Worldview ◽  
Symbolic Immortality ◽  
Religious Extremism ◽  
Human Awareness

Terror management theory (TMT) posits that the uniquely human awareness of death engenders potentially debilitating existential terror that is “managed” by subscribing to cultural worldviews providing a sense that life has meaning as well as opportunities to obtain self-esteem, in pursuit of psychological equanimity in the present and literal or symbolic immortality in the future. In empirical support of TMT, research has demonstrated that: self-esteem serves to buffer anxiety in general, and about death in particular; reminders of death increase defense of the cultural worldview and efforts to bolster self-esteem; threats to the cultural worldview or self-esteem increase the accessibility of implicit death thoughts; conscious and non-conscious thoughts of death instigate qualitatively different defensive processes; death reminders increase hostility toward people with different beliefs, affection for charismatic leaders, and support for political and religious extremism; and death reminders magnify symptoms of psychological disorders.

The Existential Function of Close Relationships: Introducing Death Into the Science of Love

2003 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Mikulincer ◽  
Victor Florian ◽  
Gilad Hirschberger
Keyword(s):  
Close Relationships ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Cultural Worldview ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Death Awareness

Originally, terror management theory proposed two psychological mechanisms in dealing with the terror of death awareness-cultural worldview validation and self-esteem enhancement. In this article, we would like to promote the idea of close relationships as an additional death-anxiety buffering mechanism and review a growing body of empirical data that support this contention. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the sociocultural and personal functions of close relationships, we formulate two basic hypotheses that have received empirical support in a series of experimental studies. First, death reminders heighten the motivation to form and maintain close relationships. Second, the maintenance of close relationships provides a symbolic shield against the terror of death, whereas the breaking of close relationships results in an upsurge of death awareness. In addition, we present empirical evidence supporting the possibility that close relationships function as a related yet separate mechanism from the self-esteem and cultural worldview defenses.

scholarly journals Terror Management Theory

Psychology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheldon Solomon
Keyword(s):  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Cultural Worldview ◽  
Symbolic Immortality ◽  
Death Awareness ◽  
Intellectual Abilities ◽  
Cultural Worldviews

Terror management theory posits that the juxtaposition of an inclination toward self-preservation with the highly developed intellectual abilities that make humans aware of their vulnerabilities and inevitable death creates the potential for paralyzing terror. One of the most important functions of cultural worldviews is to manage the terror engendered by death awareness. This is accomplished primarily through the cultural mechanism of self-esteem, which consists of the belief that one is a valuable contributor to a meaningful universe, and hence eligible for literal and/or symbolic immortality. Effective terror management requires, first, faith in a meaningful conception of reality (the cultural worldview), and second, belief that one is meeting the standards of value prescribed by that worldview (self-esteem). Because of the protection from the potential for terror that these psychological structures afford, people are motivated to maintain faith in their cultural worldviews and satisfy the standards of value associated with them.

scholarly journals Mindfulness of Death as a Tool for Mortality Salience Induction with Reference to Terror Management Theory

Religions ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 353
Author(s):  
Hyun Gong Moon
Keyword(s):  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Social Attitudes ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Cultural Worldview ◽  
Mindfulness Of Death

In this article, I argue that “mindfulness of death” (maraṇasati) can be a tool to induce mortality salience and can have a positive psychological impact. The mindfulness of death is described in detail in the early Buddhist texts Aṅguttara Nikāya and Visuddhimagga. The texts stress that death should be consciously connected with temporality and mindfulness. Here, I look at the mindfulness of death in relation to the mortality salience of terror management theory. “Mortality salience” is a term proposed in terror management theory that means “the state of conscious activation of the thoughts of death”. In addition, after conscious activation of the thought of death, I examine the psychological changes, such as the increase of pro-social attitudes which emphasizes ethics and morality, and the emphasis on the intrinsic value of life due to the operation of a cultural worldview and self-esteem. In this paper, I conclude that mindfulness of death can be an effective tool to induce mortality salience.

scholarly journals Are we truly special and unique? A replication of Goldenberg et al. (2001)

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. 191114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro ◽  
Itxaso Barberia ◽  
Jordi González-Guerra ◽  
Miguel A. Vadillo
Keyword(s):  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Cultural Worldview ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Aversive Situation

According to the mortality salience hypothesis of terror management theory, reminders of our future death increase the necessity to validate our cultural worldview and to enhance our self-esteem. In Experiment 2 of the study ‘I am not an animal: Mortality salience, disgust, and the denial of human creatureliness’, Goldenberg et al. (Goldenberg et al. 2001 J. Exp. Psychol. Gen. 130 , 427–435. ( doi:10.1037/0096-3445.130.3.427 )) observed that participants primed with questions about their death provided more positive evaluations to an essay describing humans as distinct from animals than control participants presented with questions regarding another aversive situation. In a replication of this experiment conducted with 128 volunteers, we did not observe evidence for a mortality salience effect.

Subliminal Exposure to Death-Related Stimuli Increases Defense of the Cultural Worldview

1997 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 379-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Arndt ◽  
Jeff Greenberg ◽  
Tom Pyszczynski ◽  
Sheldon Solomon
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Cultural Worldview ◽  
Subliminal Stimulus ◽  
Pain Stimuli

Three experiments reported here provide empirical support for the hypothesis derived from terror management theory that unconscious concerns about death motivate allegiance to cultural beliefs Study 1 contrasted exposure to a subliminal death-related stimulus, a standard mortality-salience treatment, and a neutral subliminal stimulus, and found that both the subliminal and the standard reminder of mortality led to more favorable evaluations of people who praised subjects' cultural worldview and more unfavorable evaluations of those who challenged it Study 2 replicated this finding by comparing the effects of exposure to subliminal death stimuli and subliminal pain stimuli Study 3 contrasted subliminal death stimuli, supraliminal death stimuli, and subliminal pain stimuli and found that only subliminal death stimuli produced these effects

scholarly journals The end of immortality - Death dating and defense preprint

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Frischlich ◽  
Diana Rieger ◽  
Gary Bente
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Relationships ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Group Status ◽  
Cultural Worldview ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Interpersonal Level

Terror management theory (Greenberg, Pyszczynski, & Solomon, 1986) posits that individuals defend against death-anxieties by striving for (symbolic) immortality. Immortality is promised by a symbolic anxiety buffer, which entails one’s (a) cultural worldview; (b) self-esteem; and (c) intimate relationships. Under conditions of mortality salience (MS), individuals prefer potential partners who validate their symbolic anxiety buffer (or are similar to them) over those who challenge it (or are different). Potential partners can be different on the intergroup level (i.e., out-group members) and on the interpersonal level (i.e., having different attitudes). Greenberg et al. (1986) suggested intergroup differences to pose a larger threat than interpersonal differences. So far, the relative threat resulting from differences on both levels has not been tested directly. In the current study, N = 195 women were randomly assigned to an MS (versus control) condition and shown a potential online date following a 2(group-membership) × 2(interpersonal similarity) design. Individuals’ (a) need for worldview validation; (b) state self-esteem; and (c) dating interest was measured. The results showed threats to the symbolic anxiety buffer due to intergroup but not due to interpersonal differences. Findings were obtained for validation needs and self-esteem but not for dating interest. Implications are discussed. Keywords: mortality salience, online dating, out-group status, attitudinal similarity, self-esteem, cultural worldview validation

Vicarious Belongingness

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Kneer ◽  
Inna Hemme ◽  
Gary Bente
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Close Relationships ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Mere Exposure ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Cultural Worldview

There is empirical evidence that mortality salience (MS) influences effects of advertisements. For instance, mere exposure to high-value goods can enhance cultural worldview and self-esteem and thus act as a buffer against existential anguish. Besides cultural worldview and self-esteem, close relationships can help to reduce existential anguish. Drawing upon terror management theory (TMT), the current study addressed the question of whether MS combined with emotional commercials influences perception of the ads as well as further behavior. We compared the effects of socioemotional versus informational ads after MS induction, measuring perceived emotionality of the ads, evaluation of ads and products, recall, and buying intention. Significant effects were found in all outcome variables, except for recall, supporting the hypothesis that under MS induction, commercials with a socioemotional content can enhance advertisement impact.

scholarly journals Are we truly special and unique? A replication of Goldenberg et al. (2001)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Rodríguez-Ferreiro ◽  
Itxaso Barberia ◽  
Jordi González-Guerra ◽  
Miguel A. Vadillo
Keyword(s):  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Cultural Worldview ◽  
Aversive Situation

According to the mortality salience hypothesis of terror management theory, reminders of our future death increase the necessity to validate our cultural worldview and to enhance our self-esteem. In Experiment 2 of the study “I am not an animal: Mortality salience, disgust, and the denial of human creatureliness”, Goldenberg et al. (2001) observed that participants primed with questions about their death provided more positive evaluations to an essay describing humans as distinct from animals than control participants presented with questions regarding another aversive situation. In a replication of this experiment conducted with 128 volunteers, we did not observe evidence for a mortality salience effect.

Considering the roles of affect and culture in the enactment and enjoyment of cruelty

2006 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spee Kosloff ◽  
Jeff Greenberg ◽  
Sheldon Solomon
Keyword(s):  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Management Research ◽  
Cultural Worldview ◽  
Cultural Framework

Research on aggression and terror management theory suggests shortcomings in Nell's analysis of cruelty. Hostile aggression and exposure to aggressive cues are not inherently reinforcing, though they may be enjoyed if construed within a meaningful cultural framework. Terror management research suggests that human cruelty stems from the desire to defend one's cultural worldview and to participate in a heroic triumph over evil.

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