Task engagement after mortality salience: The effects of creativity, conformity and connectedness on worldview defence
Abstract
Abstract Terror management research has shown that activating thoughts about mortality (mortality salience) increases defence of one's worldview. This study investigated how worldview defence is affected by engaging in a task that fosters creativity, conformity, or sharing values after being reminded of death. After writing about death or a control topic, participants were randomly assigned to design a t‐shirt with the goal of being as creative as possible, trying to please others but not oneself, or trying to connect with others via shared values. After mortality salience, conforming to others led to increased worldview defence whereas sharing values did not. Further, engaging in a creative task decreased worldview defence after mortality salience. Implications for understanding the interface between different forms of social connectedness, creativity and the management of existential fears are discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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When in a creative mind-set, MS enhanced social, intellectual, and environmental exploration, as well as the exploration of alternative secular and religious cultural worldviews.
“Specifically, when in a creative mind-set, MS enhanced social, intellectual, and environmental exploration, as well as the exploration of alternative secular and religious cultural worldviews.”
From When Death is Good for Life: Considering the Positive Trajectories of Terror Management (2012) · cites this paper as Routledge, Arndt, & Sheldon, 2004
When in a creative mindset, mortality salience enhanced social, intellectual, and environmental exploration, as well as the exploration of alternative secular and religious cultural worldviews.
“Specifically, when in a creative mindset, MS enhanced social, intellectual, and environmental exploration, as well as the exploration of alternative secular and religious cultural worldviews [106,107].”
From An Appreciative View of the Brighter Side of Terror Management Processes (2015) · cites this paper as [107]
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- Authors
- Routledge, C., Arndt, J., & Sheldon, K. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Missouri (US)
- Corresponding author
- Routledge, Clay
- ORCID
- Sheldon, Kennon M.
- Venue
- European Journal of Social Psychology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2004-07
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 477-487
- ISSN
- 0046-2772 (ISSN-L)
- 1099-0992
- OpenAlex
- W2056671632
- Cited by
- 44
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 0.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Keywords
- mortality salience, terror management theory, creativity, conformity, social connectedness, shared values, existential fear, death awareness, task engagement
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