On the Unique Psychological Import of the Human Awareness of Mortality: Theme and Variations

Pyszczynski, Tom; Greenberg, Jeff; Solomon, Sheldon; Maxfield, Molly

doi:10.1080/10478400701369542

Cited by 102 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 83 publications

(76 reference statements)

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“…TMT further assumes that people defend their cultural worldviews following mortality salience because cultural worldviews offer the prospective of the continuation of the self in some form after death (e.g., Landau et al, 2006, p. 888;Pyszczynski et al, 2006;Routledge & Vess, 2012, p. 375).…”

Section: Fear Of Self-annihilation and Existential Uncertaintymentioning

confidence: 99%

Fear of self-annihilation and existential uncertainty as predictors of worldview defense: Comparing terror management and uncertainty theories

Rubin

2017

The Journal of Social Psychology

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Terror management theory (TMT) proposes that thoughts of death trigger a concern about self-annihilation that motivates the defense of cultural worldviews. In contrast, uncertainty theorists propose that thoughts of death trigger feelings of uncertainty that motivate worldview defense. University students (N = 414) completed measures of the chronic fear of self-annihilation and existential uncertainty as well as the need for closure. They then evaluated either a meaning threat stimulus or a control stimulus. Consistent with TMT, participants with a high fear of self-annihilation and a high need for closure showed the greatest dislike of the meaning threat stimulus, even after controlling for their existential uncertainty. Contrary to the uncertainty perspective, fear of existential uncertainty showed no significant effects.

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Section: Fear Of Self-annihilation and Existential Uncertaintymentioning

confidence: 99%

Fear of self-annihilation and existential uncertainty as predictors of worldview defense: Comparing terror management and uncertainty theories

Rubin

2017

The Journal of Social Psychology

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“…The TMT premise has now been tested and supported by over two decades of empirical studies examining how we maintain psychological equilibrium when constantly exposed to reminders of our physical vulnerability and inescapable mortality (Greenberg, Solomon, & Pyszczynski, 1997;Pyszczynski, Greenberg, Solomon, & Maxfield, 2006;Pyszczynski, Solomon, & Greenberg, 2015). A metaanalysis found that 83% of all of the published and empirical TMT studies were designed to test mortality-salience influence on participants.…”

Section: Mortality Awareness and Human Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mortality awareness and water decisions: a social psychological analysis of supply-management, demand-management and soft-path paradigms

Wolfe

Brooks

2016

Water International

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The beliefs underlying the water supply-management, demandmanagement, and soft-path paradigms are examined. Two questions are considered. First, can social psychology's insights on mortality salience help explain the desire to control water and the dominant water supply-management paradigm? Second, can those insights also help explain the limited progress of demand management and water soft paths? We propose that mortality salience helps explain why individuals and societies seek to control water supply and, by extension, deny their connection to nature and limit consciousness of physical vulnerability. We briefly consider the implications of this perspective for water research, advocacy and policy.ARTICLE HISTORY

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“…Researchers -including TMT opponents, casting doubts on the uniqueness of mortality over other threats -put its mechanism and effects into the broad category of dealing with uncertainty (Pyszczynski, Greenberg, Solomon and Maxfield 2006), which is inspiring. It is worth testing, however, whether cognitive characteristic involved in dealing with uncertainty -need for closure -stands for managing terror as well.…”

Section: How Do We Process Threats: Need For Closurementioning

confidence: 99%

Prejudice toward outgroups as a Strategy to Deal with Mortality Threat: Simple Reaction with a Complex Foundation

Maj

Kossowska

2016

THS

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Abstract. Prejudice and stereotypes are two negative phenomena influencing our everyday lives. Current theory proposes that they are the effects of death cues acting mainly subconsciously, causing a potential for anxiety and provoking to defend our beliefs and maintain self-esteem. Although numerous studies have confirmed the relation between mortality salience and negative attitudes toward outgroups, moderators of this relation drew less attention so far. The following paper proposes three factors to consider: need for closure, religiosity and death attitude of an individual. Previous research as well as predictions based on the Terror Management Theory let us presume that each of them acting differently may play a significant role in shaping stereotyped and prejudiced cognition. An in-depth study shall add to further exploration of the mechanisms of stereotyping and prejudice toward outgroups.

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On the Unique Psychological Import of the Human Awareness of Mortality: Theme and Variations

Cited by 102 publications

References 83 publications

Fear of self-annihilation and existential uncertainty as predictors of worldview defense: Comparing terror management and uncertainty theories

Fear of self-annihilation and existential uncertainty as predictors of worldview defense: Comparing terror management and uncertainty theories

Mortality awareness and water decisions: a social psychological analysis of supply-management, demand-management and soft-path paradigms

Prejudice toward outgroups as a Strategy to Deal with Mortality Threat: Simple Reaction with a Complex Foundation

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