scholarly journals Age Differences in the Effects of Mortality Salience on the Correspondence Bias

2016 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly Maxfield ◽  
Tom Pyszczynski ◽  
Jeff Greenberg ◽  
Michael N. Bultmann
Keyword(s):  
Age Differences ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Correspondence Bias ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Human Thought ◽  
Age Related ◽  
And Behavior

According to terror management theory, awareness of death affects diverse aspects of human thought and behavior. Studies have shown that older and younger adults differ in how they respond to reminders of their mortality. The present study investigated one hypothesized explanation for these findings: Age-related differences in the tendency to make correspondent inferences. The correspondence bias was assessed in younger and older samples after death-related, negative, or neutral primes. Younger adults displayed increased correspondent inferences following mortality primes, whereas older adults’ inferences were not affected by the reminder of death. As in prior research, age differences were evident in control conditions; however, age differences were eliminated in the death condition. Results support the existence of age-related differences in responses to mortality, with only younger adults displaying increased reliance on simplistic information structuring after a death reminder.

Mortality Salience and Uncertainty Threat Among Younger vs. Older Adults

GeroPsych ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Christine Ma-Kellams ◽  
Ryan Harrison ◽  
My Ngoc Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Uncertainty Management ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Management Model ◽  
Younger Adults

Abstract. How do older versus younger individuals respond differently to existential threats? Although age brings emotional benefits that promote greater meaningfulness, it remains unclear how age influences reminders of death. Both terror management theory (TMT) and alternative frameworks (uncertainty management model – UMM, the meaning-making model – MMM) posit that individuals respond defensively to threat, but most of such studies focused on college-aged populations. Several TMT studies across the lifespan reached equivocal findings, and to our knowledge, no experiments have tested UMM/MMM across age groups. We tested how existential threats (i.e., mortality, uncertainty) predict defensive psychological distancing in younger/older adults. We found that older, but not younger, adults showed less defensiveness after existential threat.

When Death Is Compelling

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 352-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Schindler ◽  
Marc-André Reinhard
Keyword(s):  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Hypothetical Scenario ◽  
The Face ◽  
Scenario Study ◽  
Norm Of Reciprocity

Abstract. Research on terror management theory has found evidence that people under mortality salience strive to live up to activated social norms and values. Recently, research has shown that mortality salience also increases adherence to the norm of reciprocity. Based on this, in the current paper we investigated the idea that mortality salience influences persuasion strategies that are based on the norm of reciprocity. We therefore assume that mortality salience should enhance compliance for a request when using the door-in-the-face technique – a persuasion strategy grounded in the norm of reciprocity. In a hypothetical scenario (Study 1), and in a field experiment (Study 2), applying the door-in-the-face technique enhanced compliance in the mortality salience condition compared to a control group.

Collective in exile: Utilizing terror management theory to understand women’s wailing performance

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 523-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tova Gamliel
Keyword(s):  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Community Context ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Adaptive Value ◽  
Traditional Performance

Although women’s wailing at death rites in various cultures typically amplifies mortality salience, this ritual phenomenon is absent in the research literature on terror management theory (TMT). This study explored Yemenite-Jewish wailing in Israel as an example of how a traditional performance manages death anxiety in a community context. Observations of wailing events and interviews with Yemenite-Jewish wailers and mourners in Israel were analyzed to understand respondents’ perceptions of the experience of wailing as well as the anxiety-oriented psychotherapeutic expertise involved. The findings are discussed to propose an alternative outlook on the intersubjective adaptive value of death anxiety. After describing TMT’s view on the role of culture in coping with death anxiety, I consider the extent to which Yemenite-Jewish wailing is consistent with the premises of TMT.

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.

Mortality Salience Increases Personal Relevance of the Norm of Reciprocity

2012 ◽  
Vol 111 (2) ◽  
pp. 565-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Schindler ◽  
Marc-André Reinhard ◽  
Dagmar Stahlberg
Keyword(s):  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Personal Relevance ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Negative Reciprocity ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Positive Reciprocity ◽  
Norm Of Reciprocity

Research on terror management theory found evidence that people under mortality salience strive to live up to salient cultural norms and values, like egalitarianism, pacifism, or helpfulness. A basic, strongly internalized norm in most human societies is the norm of reciprocity: people should support those who supported them (i.e., positive reciprocity), and people should injure those who injured them (i.e., negative reciprocity), respectively. In an experiment ( N = 98; 47 women, 51 men), mortality salience overall significantly increased personal relevance of the norm of reciprocity ( M = 4.45, SD = 0.65) compared to a control condition ( M = 4.19, SD = 0.59). Specifically, under mortality salience there was higher motivation to punish those who treated them unfavourably (negative norm of reciprocity). Unexpectedly, relevance of the norm of positive reciprocity remained unaffected by mortality salience. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Modelling terror management theory: computer simulations of the impact of mortality salience on religiosity

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. LeRon Shults ◽  
Justin E. Lane ◽  
Wesley J. Wildman ◽  
Saikou Diallo ◽  
Christopher J. Lynch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulations ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
The Impact

Mortality Salience and Symbols of Cultural Worldview Affect the Desirability of a Stressful Job: The Ironic Consequences of Terror Management

2012 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 717-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittney Wirth-Petrik ◽  
R. Kim Guenther
Keyword(s):  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Dental Pain ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Health Campaigns ◽  
Job Description ◽  
Cultural Worldview ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Public Health Campaigns

In a study of terror management theory, participants first responded to prompts asking them to imagine their own death or dental pain and later rated the desirability of a generic job described explicitly as extremely stressful. The job description included either an American or foreign company logo. As predicted by terror management theory, the participants shown an American logo ironically desired the stressful job more, having been prompted with reminders of death than with reminders of dental pain. This study is the first to examine terror management theory's prediction of the influence of symbols of cultural worldview on health-related decisions. The authors discuss possible implications of the findings for making unintentionally stress-inducing decisions and for public health campaigns.

scholarly journals Teaching the Climate Crisis: Existential Considerations

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathryn Van Kessel
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Existential Anxiety ◽  
Ethical Imperative ◽  
The Future ◽  
Climate Crisis

It is urgent that educators in social studies and science (among other disciplines) consider the ethical imperative of teaching the climate crisis—the future is at stake. This article considers a barrier to teaching this contentious topic effectively: existential threat. Through the lens of terror management theory, it becomes clear that climate catastrophe is an understandably fraught topic as it can serve as a reminder of death in two ways. As will be explained in this article, simultaneously such discussions can elicit not only mortality salience from considering the necrocene produced by climate catastrophe, but also existential anxiety arising from worldview threat. This threat can occur when Western assumptions are called into question as well as when there is disagreement between those with any worldviews that differ. After summarizing relevant aspects of terror management theory and analyzing the teaching of the climate crisis as an existential affair, specific strategies to help manage this situation (in and out of the classroom) are explored: providing conceptual tools, narrating cascading emotions, carefully using humor to diffuse anxiety, employing language and phrasing that does not overgeneralize divergent groups, and priming ideas of tolerance and even nurturance of difference.

scholarly journals Emotional responses to mortality salience: Behavioral and ERPs evidence

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248699
Author(s):  
Shiyun Huang ◽  
Hongfei Du ◽  
Chen Qu
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Emotional Reaction ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Emotional Words ◽  
Fear And Anxiety

Terror Management Theory (TMT) suggests that death-related thoughts activate proximal defense which allows people to suppress or rationalize death awareness. So far there is no direct evidence to support the emotional response in the proximal defense process. The current research aimed to address this issue by examining behavioral (e.g., accuracy and reaction time) and neural responses (e.g., P1 and N400 amplitude) related to emotional arousal following death-related thoughts during proximal defense. Before engaged in emotional words (e.g., anxiety, fear and neutral) judgment task, participants answered questions that referred to emotional and physical changes about death to induce mortality salience (MS). In the control condition, participants received similar instructions concerning the experience of watching TV. Behavioral results showed that longer reaction time of words was seen in control group than MS group. The ERPs results showed that after reminders of death-related thoughts, in condition of MS, fear words elicited larger P1 ERP amplitudes, while the control group did not have this effect, which might reflect that emotional words caused different early attention patterns between MS group and control group. Moreover, compared with control group, larger N400 ERP amplitudes were elicited in condition of MS, suggesting larger cognitive inhibition of words processing caused by emotional reaction. The above results indicate that the early stages after mortality salience will induce fear and anxiety, but soon these negative emotions are suppressed and are at a lower level of accessibility. This result provides electrophysiological evidence for the proximal defense hypothesis of terror management theory.

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