Fear of death and the judgment of social transgressions: A multidimensional test of terror management theory
Abstract
The purpose of the research was to integrate a multidimensional approach to fear of personal death with terror management theory. In Study 1, 190 students were divided according to the manipulation of death salience and the intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of fear of death and were asked to judge transgressions that have either intrapersonal or interpersonal consequences. Study 2 was a conceptual replication of Study 1, with the exception that the manipulation of mortality salience included conditions that made salient either intrapersonal or interpersonal aspects of death. Findings indicate that the effects of mortality salience depend on the aspect of death that is made salient, the aspect of death that individuals most fear, and the type of the judged transgression. More severe judgments of transgressions after death salience manipulation were found mainly when there was a fit between these 3 factors. Findings are discussed in light of terror management theory.
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These reactions can be considered worldview defenses, as previous studies show mortality salience leads to more favorable evaluations of those who meet moral standards and harsher evaluations of moral transgressors.
“This can be considered a form of worldview defenses, as previous studies demonstrate that mortality salience leads to more favorable evaluations of those who live up to the moral standards and hasher evaluations of moral transgressors (Florian & Mikulincer, 1997; Pyszczynski et al., 1999).”
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- Authors
- Florian, V., & Mikulincer, M.
- ORCID
- Mikulincer, Mario
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 1997
- Volume
- 73
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 369-380
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- OpenAlex
- W2036785430
- Cited by
- 235
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 11.93
- 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, fear of death, mortality salience, social transgression, moral judgment, interpersonal transgressions
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Attitude to Death, Fear, Female, Humans, Male, Personality Assessment, Projection, Social Conformity, Social Perception, Violence
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