Transcript Terror Management Theory (TMT)

Terror Management
Theory (TMT)
Adapted from:
Russ Webster
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas
TMT’s Existential Roots
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Existential psychology began in reaction to
Freud’s theories
Both Freudian and existential psych explore
the motivational consequences of human
(unconscious) conflicts
However, they differ in which conflicts
fundamentally influence human behavior
For Freud we manage sexual conflict;
For existential psychs our search for
meaning, freedom, coherence ultimately
stemmed from the fear of death
TMT Theorists
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Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, and
Sheldon Solomon were all grad
students at University of Kansas in the
1970s
Penned theoretical papers explaining
TMT’s principles (1986)
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Ernest Becker’s (1976) The Denial of
Death cornerstone of theory
TMT: Main Tenets
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Fear of death is innate & universal and
unique to humans
Self-awareness leads to the recognition that
death is unstoppable and unpredictable
Fear of death fundamental source of human
conflict and anxiety
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Death naturally conflicts with our powerful selfpreservation and freedom instincts
Ultimate motive: to manage this terror
Thus, TMT holds that human behavior
fundamentally demonstrates how we cope or
manage this anxiety – this terror – of death;
You’ve got to be kidding me?
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How often do you really think about
death daily?
How can death be responsible for
intergroup conflict?
We learn to automatically – that is,
unconsciously – repress and manage
the fear of death using a “dualcomponent buffer”:
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A) Self-esteem
B) Culture (individualized worldview)
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Culture & Self-esteem:
Terror management mechanisms
It all goes back to childhood, right?
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Awareness of death
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But from infancy…
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Before full awareness: “The monster under the bed”
Full awareness not until around 10 – 12 y/o
Develop relationship between “being good” and having our
needs met, anxiety alleviated
Develop a sense of the self (i.e., self-esteem) through these
caregiver-child transactions
Explains our obsession with high self-esteem
From childhood…
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Adults edify children in cultural standards and beliefs
Culture provides meaning, permanence, stability
Link between fulfilling cultural standards (“being good”) and
alleviation of anxiety then developed
Culture may serve as a proxy caregiver
1. The Anxiety Buffer hypothesis
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…states that high self-esteem, derived from
upholding parental and cultural standards,
shields individuals from experiencing
(death) anxiety
Empirical research says…
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Greenberg et al. (1992): High self-esteem
lessened self-reported anxiety…
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in anticipation of electric shocks
in response to graphic video
in response to receiving information detailing a short life
expectancy
Self-esteem also moderated P’s physiological
response in anticipation of electric shocks
2. Mortality Salience hypothesis…
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…states that when people are reminded of
death (mortality salience), they will use
various terror management (defense)
mechanisms to rid death thoughts from the
mind to return to a composed psychological
state
Seeing that culture is vital to ward off death
anxiety, people should defend their
worldviews after mortality salience (i.e.,
elicit worldview defense)
Worldview defense can either involve
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a) criticizing others’ disparate worldviews or
b) praising others who uphold your worldview
First empirical studies…
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Rosenblatt et al. (1989):
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Completed mortality questionnaire (write
about your death) or not
Judges read case brief and then allotted
bail to the alleged prostitute
$ amount ranged from $100 - $999
Results:
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After mortality salience: $455 vs.
Control condition: $50
Rosenblatt et al. (1989) cont.
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Also added “heroine condition” in
which P’s allotted reward amount to
female who apprehended thief ($1,000
- $4,000)
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After mortality salience: $3,476 vs.
Control condition: $1,112
Mortality Salience: Results
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MS not only affects attitudes…
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But also overt behavioral responses…
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e.g., increased derogation of various outgroup
members (e.g., Christians vs. Jews)
Increased aggression against worldview
transgressors (e.g., allotted more hot sauce to
targets who criticized one’s political views)
Decreased affiliation with dissimilar others (e.g.,
where one chooses, if at all, to sit with worldview
threats)
And death thought accessibility
BUT ONLY AFTER A DELAY
Your
worldvie
w sucks!
I’m going
to live
forever!
DELAY
Proximal Effects
Distal Effects
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