terror management theory prague, czech republic. tmt and existential psychology existential...

Terror Management Theory

Prague, Czech Republic

TMT and Existential Psychology

Existential psychology began in reaction to Freud’s theories

Both Freudian and existential approaches explore the motivational consequences of human (unconscious) conflicts

However, they differ in which conflicts fundamentally influence human behavior

For Freud the conflict is sex and agression For existentialists it’s our search for

meaning, freedom, coherence ultimately stemmed from the fear of death

TMT Beginning TMT developers: Jeff

Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, and Sheldon Solomon

Penned theoretical papers explaining TMT’s principles (1986)

Theory is based on Ernest Becker’s (1976) The Denial of Death

TMT: Main Tenets Fear of death is

innate universal unique to humans

Self-awareness leads to death awareness (i.e. recognition that death is unstoppable and unpredictable)

Fear of death fundamental source of human conflict and anxiety Death naturally conflicts with our powerful

self-preservation and freedom instincts

TMT: Main Tenets

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

But how often do we think about death?

We learn to automatically – that is, unconsciously – repress and manage the fear of death using a “dual-component buffer”:

TMT: Main Tenets Initial reaction to death awareness is

conscious suppression of death thoughts – Generally successful (low DTA)

After delay, unconscious DTA increases Activates psychological strategies to

defend against death terror: Focus on one’s culture (more enduring than

the individual; provides meaning and support)

Focus on self-esteem

1. Mortality Salience hypothesis…

…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 a) criticizing others’ disparate worldviews or b) praising others who uphold your

worldview

I’m going to

live forever!

DELAY

Proximal Effects

Distal Effects

Your worldvie

w sucks!

First empirical studies… Rosenblatt et al. (1989):

Completed mortality questionnaire (write about your death) or not

Judges read case brief and then allotted bail to the alleged prostitute

$ amount ranged from $1 - $999 Results:

After mortality salience: $455 vs. Control condition: $50

Rosenblatt et al. (1989) cont.

Also added “heroine condition” in which P’s allotted reward amount to female who apprehended thief ($1,000 - $4,000) After mortality salience: $3,476 vs. Control condition: $1,112

Mortality Salience: Results MS not only affects attitudes…

e.g., increased derogation of various outgroup members (e.g., Christians vs. Jews)

But also overt behavioral responses… 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

2. The Anxiety Buffer hypothesis …states that high self-esteem, shields

individuals from experiencing (death) anxiety

Empirical research says… Greenberg et al. (1992): High self-esteem

lessened self-reported anxiety… 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