Social effects of mortality salience: Defenсe mechanism or cognitive load?
Psychology
Keywords:
social cognition, Terror Management Theory, cognitive load, social attitudes, out groups perceptionAbstract
The interpretation of Terror Management Theory (TMT) effects on social attitudes is discussed. It is assumed that effects of mortality salience on attitudes toward various social groups can be explained by well-established empirically cognitive load instead of defence mechanisms which are widely proposed as an explanatory principle by TMT researchers. Several studies which indirectly support the assumption are considered.References
Щебетенко С.А. Восприятие иммигрантов россиянами: эффекты когнитивной нагрузки, стереотипности и черт личности // Психологический журнал. 2010. Т. 31. № 2. С. 28-38.
Arndt J., Cook, A., Goldenberg J.L., & Cox C.R. Cancer and the threat of death: The cognitive dynamics of death-thought suppression and its impact on behavioral health intentions // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2007. №. 92. Р. 12-29.
Arndt J., Greenberg J., Pyszczynski T., & Solomon S. Subliminal exposure to death-related stimuli increases defense of the cultural worldview // Psychological Science. 1997. № 8. Р. 379-385.
Burke B.L., Martens A., & Faucher E.H. Two decades of Terror Management Theory: A metaanalysis of mortality salience research // Personality and Social Psychology Review. 2010.№ 14. Р. 155- 195.
Burris C.T., & Rempel J.K. It’s the end of the world as we know it: Threat and the spatial-symbolic self // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2004. № 86. Р. 19-42.
Devine P. G. Stereotypes and prejudice: Their automatic and controlled components // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1989. №56. Р. 5-18.
Fazio R. H., Jackson J. R., Dunton B. C , & Williams C. J. Variability in automatic activation as an unobtrusive measure of racial attitudes: A bona fide pipeline? // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1995. № 69. Р. 1013-1027.
Florian V., & Mikulincer M. Fear of death and the judgment of social transgressions: A multidimensional test of terror management theory // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1997. № 73. Р. 369–380.
Florian V., & Mikulincer M. Terror management in childhood: Does death conceptualization moderate the effects of mortality salience on acceptance of similar and different others? // Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 1998. № 24. Р.1104– 1112.
Gilbert D. T., & Hixon J. G. The trouble of thinking: Activation and application of stereotypic beliefs // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1991. №60. Р. 509–517.
Greenberg J., Pyszczynski T., & Solomon S. The causes and consequences of a need for self-esteem: A terror management theory // R. F. Baumeister (Ed.), Public self and private self. New York: Springer, 1986. Р.189-212.
Greenberg J., Pyszczynski T., Solomon S., Rosenblatt A., Veeder M., Kirkland S., & Lyon D. Evidence for terror management: II. The effects of mortality salience on reactions to those who threaten or bolster the cultural worldview // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1990. № 58. Р.308–318.
Greenwald A. G., Nosek B. A., & Banaji M. R. Understanding and using the Implicit Association Test: I. An improved scoring algorithm // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2003. № 85. Р.197-216.
McGregor H., Leiberman J., Greenberg J., Solomon S., Arndt J., Simon L. & Pyszczynski T. Terror management and aggression: Evidence that mortality salience promotes aggression against worldview-threatening individuals // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.1998. № 74. Р. 590-605.
Navarrete C. D. & Fessler D. M. T. Disease avoidance and ethnocentrism: The effects of disease vulnerability and disgust sensitivity on intergroup attitudes // Evolution and Human Behavior. 2006.
Nelson L. J., Moore D. L., Olivetti J., & Scott T. General and personal mortality salience and nationalistic bias // Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 1997. № 23. Р.884–892.
Rosenblatt A., Greenberg J., Solomon S., Pyszczynski T., & Lyon D. Evidence for terror management theory I: The effects of mortality salience on reactions to those who violate or uphold cultural values // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1989. № 57. Р. 681-690.
Schimel J., Simon L., Greenberg J., Pyszczynski T., Solomon S., Waxmonsky J., & Arndt J. Stereotypes and terror management: Evidence that mortality salience enhances stereotypic thinking and preferences // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1997. № 77. Р. 905–926.
Wegner D. M., Erber R., & Zanakos S. Ironic processes in the mental control of mood and moodrelated thought // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.1993. № 65. Р.1093–1104.
Wittenbrink B., Judd C. M., & Park B. Evidence for racial prejudice at the implicit level and its relationship with questionnaire measures // Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1997. № 72. Р.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Perm University Herald. Philosophy. Psychology. Sociology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
