Flashcards in 1. Fear of death Deck (10)
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1
What does TMT stand for?
Terror Management Theory
2
What is Terror Management Theory?
Terror management theory (TMT) attempts to explain a type of defensive human thinking and behaviour that stems from an awareness and fear of death.
3
What creates terror in TMT?
Two main forces together which creates terror – desire for self-preservation and the awareness of death
Use your culture to deal with this
4
What three hypothesises are associated with TMT?
1. Anxiety-buffering hypothesis
2. Mortality Salience hypothesis
3. Death-Thought Accessibility hypothesis
5
What is the Anxiety-buffering hypothesis?
- Self-esteem acts as an anxiety buffer, e.g. higher esteem leads to lower anxiety
- If world-views (and self-esteem) serve an anxiety-buffering function, then bolstering these structures should reduce anxiety in threatening situations
6
What is the Mortality Salience hypothesis?
- Mortality salience is the awareness by individuals that their death is inevitable.
- If we make people aware of their death, then you are more worthy of your world view
- If world-views (and self-esteem) buffer from existential terror, then death reminders should increase the need for these psychological structures
7
What is the Death-Thought Accessibility hypothesis?
- If world-views (and self-esteem) defend from death-related concerns, then threatening these psychological structures should temporarily make death- related thoughts accessible
8
What alternatives are there to TMT?
- Uncertainty Management Model
- Meaning Maintenance Model
9
What is the uncertainty management model?
Uncertainty, not death, is the core existential motive (Van den Bos, 2009) – life is uncertain. It is not death that is at the core, it is uncertainty
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