Terror mamagement theory Flashcards
What is TMT?
explores how humans cope with the awareness of their mortality
TMT is interdisciplinary, what does this mean?
It is a combination of multiple disciplines and theories
eg. traits, motivation, evolutionary and biological concepts, Neo-psychoanalytic concepts, and attachment theory
__________ is the existential awareness of nonbeing
Anxiety (existential threat)
What are the 2 root questions of TMT
Why cant we all just get along?
Why is self-esteem so important?
What are the 4 basic elements of TMT?
1) Humans are animals
2) Humans are different than other animals
3) The drive towards survival + knowledge of death = Terror
4) How do we cope with this terror?
What is a Cultural Worldview?
a socially-constructed and shared symbolic conceptions of reality, that give human existance a sense of meaning and order
What is Literal Immortality?
The literal persistence of ones self after physical death (eg.the soul)
What is Symbolic Immortality?
The persistance of ones symbolic self after physical death
eg. writing a book, having children, having your name on a building
What is Accommodation?
incorporating aspects of other worldviews to ones own
What is Assimilation?
Converting others to ones own worldview
What is Derogation?
Belittering rival worldviews
What is Annihilation?
Eliminating rival worldviews
Why is self-esteem so important?
Its a gauge for our immortality
What is the Mortality Salience (MS) Hypothesis?
If a construct reduces thoughts and concerns about death, then reminding people of death should increase their need for that construct
What is the Death-Thought Accessibility (DTA) Hypothesis?
If a construct reduces thoughts and concerns about death, then thretening that construct should increase the accessibility of death-thoughts
