Cited by 182Death Anxiety and Social ExclusionDeath, Funerary Practices, and MourningSocial and Intergroup Psychology

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Terror management and cognitive-experiential self-theory: Evidence that terror management occurs in the experiential system

Simon, Linda, Greenberg, Jeff, Harmon-Jones, Eddie, Solomon, Sheldon, Pyszczynski, Tom, Arndt, Jamie, Abend, Teresa·1997·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

DOI 10.1037/0022-3514.72.5.1132

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Abstract

The authors hypothesized, on the basis of terror management theory and cognitive-experiential self-theory, that participants in an experiential mode of thinking would respond to mortality salience with increased worldview defense and increased accessibility of death-related thoughts, whereas participants in a rational mode would not. Results from 3 studies provided convergent evidence that when participants were in an experiential mode, mortality salience produced the typical worldview defense effect, but when participants were in a rational mode it did not. Study 4 revealed that mortality salience also led to a delayed increase in the accessibility of death-related thoughts only when participants were in an experiential mode. These results supported the notion that worldwide defense is intensified only if individuals are in an experiential mode when considering their mortality. Discussion focuses on implications for understanding terror management processes.

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Religion
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Preface
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Chapter 2
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Appendix
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Note on Transliteration
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Appendix
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Chapter 6
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Notes
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Chapter 3
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Chapter 4
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Copyright Page
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Chapter 5
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Literatur
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Authors: Simon, L., Greenberg, J., Harmon-Jones, E., Solomon, S., Pyszczynski, T., Arndt, J., & Abend, T.
Affiliations: University of Maryland, College Park (US)
Skidmore College (US)
University of Colorado Colorado Springs (US)
University of Arizona (US)
ORCID: Greenberg, Jeff
Solomon, Sheldon
Pyszczynski, Tom
Venue: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 1997
Volume: 72
Issue: 5
Pages: 1132-1146
ISSN: 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
1939-1315
DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.72.5.1132
OpenAlex: W2097136728
Cited by: 181
References: 47
Citations by year: 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 4
FWCI: 5.67
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
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: terror management theory, cognitive-experiential self-theory, mortality salience, worldview defense, death-related thoughts, fear of death
MeSH terms: Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Attitude to Death, Defense Mechanisms, Female, Humans, Internal-External Control, Male, Personality, Self Concept, Social Perception, Violence

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Terror management and cognitive-experiential self-theory: Evidence that terror management occurs in the experiential system

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