Online Interactions as a Terror Management Mechanism

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 30-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Partouche-Sebban
Keyword(s):  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Social Recognition ◽  
Online Interactions ◽  
Self Image ◽  
Facebook Use ◽  
The Relationship

Death is source of fascination and fear and the deny of death is at the basis of the human motivation. Terror Management Theory suggests that death awareness and the fundamental instinct of self-preservation create a potential for anxiety that individuals try to face by using different mechanisms oriented toward self-esteem striving. While existing research deals with the role of close relationships in the terror management, research on how online interactions may serve as a terror mechanism is lacking. This research seeks to examine the relationship between death anxiety and Facebook use. A quantitative study was conducted among 181 participants. Results show a positive relationship between death anxiety and Facebook use, as Facebook is a means to present a valuable self-image and gain social recognition. Contributions for social marketing in particular and limits of the study are discussed.

Role of Social Detachment in Coping With Death Anxiety

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saurabh Maheshwari ◽  
Tuheena Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiment ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Adaptive Strategy ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Coping With Death

The present research examines the strength of terror management theory in an indigenous Indian context of religious fair called Magh Mela. It explores how elderly Hindu people deal with death anxiety through practicing Kalpvas in Magh Mela. The research explores the role of social detachment and self-esteem in coping with terror of death. Study 1, a field experiment on 150 Kalpvasis (practitioners of Kalpvas) confirms the significant role of social detachment as an adaptive strategy for coping with death terror. The role of self-esteem did not emerge in the study. Study 2, another field experiment on 62 Kalpvasis confirms results of study 1. Significant role of years of Kalpvas on fear of death shows importance of the religious practices in managing terror related to death. The relation of terror management theory and death anxiety thus follows a different explanation for more indigenous contexts.

The Role of Death Anxiety and Self-Esteem in Suicide Attitudes

2021 ◽  
pp. 003022282110009
Author(s):  
Athena Kheibari ◽  
Julie Cerel
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Careful Examination ◽  
Thought Processes ◽  
Willingness To Intervene

The persistent stigmatization of suicide calls for a careful examination of the thought processes involved in perceptions of suicide. Hence, the present study is the first to apply terror management theory (TMT) and use experimental methods to examine whether reminders of death lead to increased stigma towards suicide and whether self-esteem moderates these stigmatized reactions. Consistent with the predicted effect of the death anxiety and self-esteem hypothesis, findings revealed that, for respondents with low self-esteem, thinking about their own death led to more stigma, less willingness to intervene, and allocated less money to a suicide prevention organization as compared to those who did not think about death. Findings from this study could have important implications for how we understand the psychological underpinnings of stigma and the role of death anxiety in hostile attitudes and decreased altruism – especially for mental health professionals working with individuals affected by suicide.

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.

The Psychological Correlates of Decreased Death Anxiety After a Near-Death Experience: The Role of Self-Esteem, Mindfulness, and Death Representations

2019 ◽  
pp. 002216781989210
Author(s):  
Simone Bianco ◽  
Ines Testoni ◽  
Arianna Palmieri ◽  
Sheldon Solomon ◽  
Joshua Hart
Keyword(s):  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Fear Of Death ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Psychological Correlates ◽  
Death Experience ◽  
Near Death Experiences ◽  
Future Theory

Near-death experiences (NDE) are intense events that can have profound psychological consequences. Although decreased fear of death after an NDE is a well-documented phenomenon, it is unclear what psychological factors are associated with reduced death anxiety. In this study, grounded in terror management theory, we compared 102 people who had an NDE with 104 individuals who did not. Participants completed measures of death anxiety, self-esteem, mindfulness, and death representation. Results indicated that people who had an NDE had lower fear of death, higher self-esteem, greater mindfulness, and viewed death more as a transition rather than as absolute annihilation. Subsequent analyses found that NDE had a direct effect on death anxiety, and that the effect of NDE on death anxiety was also mediated by indirect effects on self-esteem and death representation. Implications of these findings are considered, limitations of the present study are acknowledged, and suggestions for future theory and research are proffered.

Self-Esteem

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey J. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Reciprocal Effects ◽  
Disability Sport ◽  
Mastery Experiences ◽  
History Of ◽  
Multidimensional Models

Self-esteem has a long history in psychological research and sport psychology researchers are often interested in whether sport builds self-esteem. This chapter traces the history of self-esteem research in sport and provides definitions of and distinguishes between self-esteem and self-concept, and unidimensional and multidimensional models of self-esteem. The reciprocal effects model of self-esteem is examined, which suggests mastery experiences and self-esteem both exert influences on each other and can be viewed as causes and effects of each other. Antecedents of self-esteem, such as feelings of mastery and favorable judgments of worth from significant others, are also discussed, along with developmental aspects of self-esteem. Related areas of research that might be relevant to disability and disability sport are also discussed, such as terror management theory, the role of discounting and devaluing in psychological disengagement, how self-esteem might act as a mediator, and metacognitive properties of self-esteem.

The Role of Close Relationships in Terror Management: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Plusnin ◽  
Christopher A. Pepping ◽  
Emiko S. Kashima
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Close Relationships ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Moderating Factors ◽  
Relational Outcomes

Terror management theory outlines how humans seek self-esteem and worldview validation to manage death-related anxiety. Accumulating evidence reveals that close relationships serve a similar role. However, to date, there has been no synthesis of the literature that delineates when close relationships buffer mortality concerns, under what conditions, on which specific outcomes, and for whom. This systematic review presents over two decades of research to address these questions. Findings from 73 reviewed studies revealed that close relationships serve an important role in buffering death-related anxiety. A range of dispositional and situational moderating factors influence either the activation or inhibition of relational strivings to manage heightened death awareness, the most influential being attachment, gender, and relationship-contingent self-esteem. These findings were integrated into an overarching model that highlights some of the conditions under which mortality salience (MS) influences relational outcomes. We conclude by highlighting a range of theoretical and methodological concerns to be addressed by future research.

Terrorism, Violence, and Hope for Peace

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 318-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Pyszczynski ◽  
Zachary Rothschild ◽  
Abdolhossein Abdollahi
Keyword(s):  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Self ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Perceived Injustice ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
Cultural Worldviews ◽  
Terrorist Violence

Terror management theory (TMT) is used to explore psychological forces that act to promote or discourage support for terrorism and violent counterterrorist policies. According to TMT, domination, humiliation, and perceived injustice threaten the self-esteem and cultural worldviews that protect people from death-related anxiety; the result may be hostility and violence directed against the threatening out-group as a way of defusing this threat. We review research documenting the role of terror management processes in promoting and discouraging support for terrorism and violent counterterrorist policies and discuss the implications of this research. The studies we review suggest that the same psychological forces that promote support for terrorist violence also promote support for aggressive counterterrorist policies and that these forces can be redirected to encourage support for more peaceful solutions on both sides of the current conflict between Islamic radical groups and Western nations.

Why Does Ingroup Identification Shield People from Death Anxiety?

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 320-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Herrera ◽  
Fabio Sani
Keyword(s):  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Moderated Mediation ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Need For Closure ◽  
Ingroup Identification

Research to date guided by terror management theory has demonstrated that mortality salience increases ingroup identification. However, the process that leads from death reminders to group investment has remained underinvestigated. We tested a model in which mortality salience increased the perceived continuity of the group while at the same time strengthening the perception of group entitativity. In turn, higher perceived group entitativity led to enhanced ingroup identification. Three-path mediation analysis showed that mortality salience transmitted its effects onto ingroup identification indirectly, progressing first through perceived collective continuity and then through ingroup entitativity. Moderated mediation analysis revealed that personal self-esteem and the need for closure did not moderate this effect of mortality salience on ingroup identification.

The relationship between COVID-19-induced death thoughts and depression during a national lockdown

2021 ◽  
pp. 135910532110671
Author(s):  
Samuel Fairlamb
Keyword(s):  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Death Thoughts ◽  
Death Thought Accessibility ◽  
Existential Concerns

Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased rates of depression worldwide. Many factors have been identified to relate to this increase depression, but according to Terror Management Theory, the heightened awareness of death during the pandemic has the potential to increase depression for those with low self-esteem. This hypothesis was examined in a U.K. sample during the first national lockdown where depression, self-esteem and death-thought accessibility (DTA) were measured, and a COVID Index (COVID-19 cases and deaths on date of participation) was produced. The COVID Index was positively related to DTA. Additionally, DTA mediated the relationship between the COVID Index and depression scores when participants had low levels of self-esteem. These findings suggest that heightened existential concerns may be a neglected factor increasing depression during the pandemic.

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