Terror Mismanagement: Evidence That Mortality Salience Exacerbates Phobic and Compulsive Behaviors

Abstract

Terror management theory (TMT) posits that cultural worldviews and self-esteem function to buffer humans from mortality-related anxiety. TMT research has shown that important behaviors are influenced by mortality salience (MS) even when they have no obvious connection to death. However, there has been no attempt to investigate TMT processes in anxious responding. The present research examines that question. In Study 1, compared to a control condition, MS increased anxious responding to spider-related stimuli, but only for participants who met criteria for specific phobia. In Study 2, compared to an aversive control condition, MS increased time spent washing hands, but only for those scoring high on a measure of compulsive hand washing (CHW). In Study 3, compared to a different aversive control condition, MS increased avoidance of a social interaction, but only for those scoring high on a measure of social interaction anxiety. The relevance of TMT in anxious responding is discussed.

Cite this

Eric D. Strachan, Jeff Schimel, Jamie Arndt, Todd J. Williams, Sheldon Solomon, Tom Pyszczynski, … Jeff Greenberg (2007). Terror Mismanagement: Evidence That Mortality Salience Exacerbates Phobic and Compulsive Behaviors. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167207303018

@article{d2007terror,
  title  = {Terror Mismanagement: Evidence That Mortality Salience Exacerbates Phobic and Compulsive Behaviors},
  author = {Strachan, Eric D. and Schimel, Jeff and Arndt, Jamie and Williams, Todd J. and Solomon, Sheldon and Pyszczynski, Tom and Greenberg, Jeff},
  year   = {2007},
  journal = {Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin},
  doi    = {10.1177/0146167207303018}
}

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