Terror management and meaning: Evidence that the opportunity to defend the worldview in response to mortality salience increases the meaningfulness of life in the mildly depressed
Open accessAbstract
Previous terror management research has demonstrated that mildly depressed participants show a greater increase in worldview defense in response to reminders of their mortality than do nondepressed participants. Because the cultural worldview is posited to provide a meaningful conception of life, we hypothesized that mildly depressed participants who defend their worldview in response to mortality salience (MS) would increase their perception that the world is meaningful. A preliminary study first examined the Kunzendorf No Meaning Scale as a measure to assess perceptions of meaning. In the primary study, mildly depressed and nondepressed participants contemplated their own mortality or a neutral topic, evaluated two targets in a manner that either allowed them to defend their worldview or that did not, and then completed the Kunzendorf No Meaning Scale. As predicted, mildly depressed participants who had the opportunity to defend their worldview in response to mortality salience reported greater meaning in life than did mildly depressed participants who did not have the opportunity to defend their worldview, or mildly depressed participants not exposed to mortality salience. Implications for understanding and treating depression are briefly discussed.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The opportunity for worldview defense in response to mortality salience among mildly depressed individuals is associated with greater self-reported meaning in life than for mildly depressed individuals not given this opportunity.
“Moreover, correlational research has shown that the opportunity for worldview defense in response to mortality salience among mildly depressed individuals is also associated with greater self-reported meaning in life than for mildly depressed individuals not given this opportunity (Simon et al., 1998).”
From Death anxiety and its role in psychopathology: Reviewing the status of a transdiagnostic construct (2014) · cites this paper as Simon et al., 1998
The Defense of Worldview results report that mildly depressed subjects given an opportunity to defend their worldview after mortality salience reported greater meaning in life than those without that opportunity. However, the cited comparison comes from an experimental between-groups analysis, not correlational research as the citing sentence describes it. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredBolstering worldview beliefs may increase life meaning among depressed individuals.
“These findings suggest that bolstering worldview beliefs may increase life meaning among depressed individuals (Simon et al., 1998).”
From Death anxiety and its role in psychopathology: Reviewing the status of a transdiagnostic construct (2014) · cites this paper as Simon et al., 1998
The Discussion reports that mildly depressed participants viewed life as more meaningful after defending their worldviews following a reminder of mortality. The claim omits that condition and extends the finding from mildly depressed participants to depressed individuals generally; the Discussion explicitly cautions against generalizing to more severely depressed clinical populations. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAccording to Terror Management Theory, depression is caused by fragile faith in cultural worldviews and an inefficient capacity to buffer anxiety and to cultivate meaning, self-esteem, and fulfilling relationships.
“According to Terror Management Theory, depression is caused by fragile faith in cultural worldviews and an inefficient capacity to buffer anxiety and to cultivate meaning, self-esteem, and fulfilling relationships (Maxfield et al., 2014;Simon et al., 1998).”
From Death anxiety and its role in psychopathology: Reviewing the status of a transdiagnostic construct (2014) · cites this paper as Simon et al., 1998
The “Terror Management and Mild Depression” section says mildly depressed people are posited to have fragile faith in their cultural worldviews and greater difficulty finding meaning. The Introduction describes worldviews and self-esteem as parts of an anxiety buffer. The paper does not establish that these difficulties cause depression or address an inability to cultivate fulfilling relationships; its study concerns mildly depressed participants. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredDepressive disorders may be associated with, or exacerbated by, existential despair and lack of meaning.
“Depressive disorders may be associated with, or exacerbated by, existential despair and lack of meaning (Ghaemi, 2007;Havens & Ghaemi, 2005;Simon, Arndt, Greenberg, Solomon, & Pyszczynski, 1998).”
From Death anxiety and its role in psychopathology: Reviewing the status of a transdiagnostic construct (2014) · cites this paper as Simon, Arndt, Greenberg, Solomon, & Pyszczynski, 1998
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Still being checked.
Research works printed but not linked: 26
- Alloy, L. B., & Abramson, L. Y. (1979). Judgment of contingency in depressed and nondepressed: Sadder but wiser? Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 108, 441-465.
- Alloy, L. B., & Abramson, L. Y. (1988). Depressive realism: Four theoretical perspectives. In L. B. Alloy (Ed.), Cognitive processes in depression (pp. 223-265). New York: Guilford Press.
- Alloy, L. B., & Ahrens, A. H. (1987). Depression and pessimism for the future: Biased use of statistically relevant information in predictions for self versus others. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 366-378.
- Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Garbin, M. E. (1988). Psychometric properties of the beck depression inventory: Twenty-five years of evaluation. Clinical Psychology Review, ~, 77-100.
- Becker, E. (1964). The revolution in psychiatry. New York: Free Press.
- Bumberry, W., Oliver, J.M., & McClure, J.N. (1978). Validation of the beck depression inventory in a university population using psychometric estimate as the criterion. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46, 150-155.
- campbell, J. D., & Fehr, B. (1990). Self-esteem and perceptions of conveyed impression: Is negative affectivity associated with greater realism? Journal of Personality and social Psychology, 58, 122-133.
- Coyne, J. C., & Gotlib, I. H. (1983). The role of cognition in depression: A critical reappraisal. Psychological Bulletin, 94, 472-502.
- Crumbaugh, J. C. (1968). Cross-validation of Purpose-in- Life Test based on Frankl's concepts. Journal of Individual Psychology, 24, 78-81.
- Emmons, R. A. (1992). Abstract versus concrete goals: Personal striving level, physical illness, and psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 292-300.
- Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S. (1986). The causes and consequences of a need for self-esteem: A terror management theory. In R. F. Baumeister (Ed.), Public self and private self. New York: Springer-Verlag.
- Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., Solomon, S., Rosenblatt, A., Veeder, H., Kirkland, S., & Lyon, D. (1990). Evidence for terror management II: The effects of mortality salience on reactions to those who threaten or bolster the cultural worldview. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 308-318.
- Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., Solomon, S., Pinel, E., Simon, L., & Jordan, K. (1993). Effects of self-esteem on vulnerability-denying defensive distortions: Further evidence of an anxiety-buffering function of self-esteem. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 29, 229-251.
- Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., Solomon, S., Simon, L., & Breus, H. (1994). Role of consciousness and accessibility of death-related thoughts in mortality salience effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 627-637.
- Greenberg, J., Simon, L., Harmon-Jones, E., Solomon, S., Pyszczynski, T., & Chatel, D. (in press). Testing alternative explanations for mortality effects: Terror management, value accessibility, or worrisome thoughts? European Journal of Social Psychology.
- Greenberg, J., Simon, L., Pyszczynski, T., Solomon, S., & Chatel, D. (1992). Terror management and tolerance: Does mortality salience always intensify negative reactions to others who threaten one's worldview? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 212-220.
- Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., Pyszczynski, T., Rosenblatt, A., Burling, J., Lyon, D., pinel, E., & Simon, L. (1992). Assessing the terror management analysis of self-esteem: Converging evidence of an anxiety-buffering function. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, ~, 913- 922.
- Hamilton, J., Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., & cather, C. (1993) •. A self-regulatory perspective on psychopathology and psychotherapy. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, ~, 205-248.
- Pyszczynski, T., & Greenberg, J. (1987). Self-regulatory perseveration and the depressive self-focusing style: A Self-awareness theory of reactive depression. Psychological Bulletin,.~, 122-138.
- Pyszczynski, T., & Greenberg, J. (1992). Hanging on and letting go; Understanding the onset. progression. and remission of depression. New York: Springer-Verlag.
- Rosenblatt, A., Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., Pyszczynski, T., & Lyon, D. (1989). Evidence for terror management theory I: The effects of mortality salience on reactions to those who violate or uphold cultural values. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 681-690.
- Simon, L., Harmon-Jones, E., Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., & Pyszczynski, T. (in press). Mild depression, mortality salience, and defense of the worldview: Evidence of intensified terror management in the mildly depressed. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
- Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., & Pyszczynski, T., (1991a). A terror management theory of social behavior: The psychological functions of self-esteem and cultural worldviews. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology: Vol. 24. New York: Academic Press.
- Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., & Pyszczynski, T., (1991b). Terror management theory of self-esteem. In C. R. snyder & D. Forsyth (Eds.), Handbook of social and clinical psychology: The health perspective (pp. 21-40). New York: Pergamon Press.
- Vredenburg, K., Flett, G. L., & Krames, L. (1993). Analogue versus clinical depression: A critical reappraisal. Psychological Bulletin, 113, 327-344.
- Wegner, D. M., Vallacher, R. R., Macomber, G., Wood, R., & Arps, K. (1984). The emergence of action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 269-279.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Pyszczynski, T., Greenberg, J., & Solomon, S. (1999) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.106.4.835 · Cited by 1,390 · see citing works
Self-citationTwo Decades of Terror Management Theory: A Meta-Analysis of Mortality Salience Research
Burke, B. L., Martens, A., & Faucher, E. H. (2010) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/1088868309352321 · Cited by 1,188 · see citing works
Koltko-Rivera, M. E. (2004) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/1089-2680.8.1.3 · Cited by 788 · see citing works
In the wake of 9/11: The psychology of terror.
Pyszczynski, T., Solomon, S., & Greenberg, J. (2003) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/10478-000 · Cited by 671 · see citing works
Self-citationThirty Years of Terror Management Theory
Pyszczynski, T., Solomon, S., & Greenberg, J. (2015) · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/bs.aesp.2015.03.001 · Cited by 509 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Urge to Splurge: A Terror Management Account of Materialism and Consumer Behavior
Arndt, J., Solomon, S., Kasser, T., & Sheldon, K. M. (2004) · Journal of Consumer Psychology · doi:10.1207/s15327663jcp1403_2 · Cited by 463 · see citing works
Self-citationDeath anxiety and its role in psychopathology: Reviewing the status of a transdiagnostic construct
Iverach, L., Menzies, R. G., & Menzies, R. E. (2014) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2014.09.002 · Cited by 459 · see citing works
“buffer anxiety and to cultivate meaning, self-esteem, and fulfilling relationships (Maxfield et al., 2014; Simon et al., 1998).”
BackgroundInfluentialA blast from the past: The terror management function of nostalgia
Routledge, C., Arndt, J., Sedikides, C., & Wildschut, T. (2008) · Journal of Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2006.11.001 · Cited by 422 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Scrooge Effect: Evidence that mortality salience increases prosocial attitudes and behavior
Jonas, E., Schimel, J., Greenberg, J., & Pyszczynski, T. (2002) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/014616702236834 · Cited by 420 · see citing works
Self-citationSchimel, J., Simon, L., Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., Solomon, S., Waxmonsky, J., & Arndt, J. (1999) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.77.5.905 · Cited by 345 · see citing works
Self-citationDeath anxiety in the time of COVID-19: theoretical explanations and clinical implications
Menzies, R. E., & Menzies, R. G. (2020) · The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist · doi:10.1017/s1754470x20000215 · Cited by 327 · see citing works
Arndt, J., Greenberg, J., & Cook, A. (2002) · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · doi:10.1037//0096-3445.131.3.307 · Cited by 231 · see citing works
Self-citationRoutledge, C., Ostafin, B., Juhl, J., Sedikides, C., Cathey, C., & Liao, J. (2010) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0021431 · Cited by 227 · see citing works
The relationship between death anxiety and severity of mental illnesses
Menzies, R. E., Sharpe, L., & Dar‐Nimrod, I. (2019) · British Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjc.12229 · Cited by 232 · see citing works
When Death is Good for Life: Considering the Positive Trajectories of Terror Management
Vail, K. E., Juhl, J., Arndt, J., Vess, M., Routledge, C., & Rutjens, B. T. (2012) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/1088868312440046 · Cited by 210 · see citing works
Self-citationTerror Mismanagement: Evidence That Mortality Salience Exacerbates Phobic and Compulsive Behaviors
Strachan, E., Schimel, J., Arndt, J., Williams, T., Solomon, S., Pyszczynski, T., & Greenberg, J. (2007) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167207303018 · Cited by 192 · see citing works
Self-citationSelf-concept Clarity Mediates the Relation between Stress and Subjective Well-being
Ritchie, T. D., Sedikides, C., Wildschut, T., Arndt, J., & Gidron, Y. (2011) · Self and Identity · doi:10.1080/15298868.2010.493066 · Cited by 185 · see citing works
Self-citationLow-status compensation: A theory for understanding the role of status in cultures of honor.
Henry, P. J. (2009) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0015476 · Cited by 174 · see citing works
Vess, M., Routledge, C., Landau, M. J., & Arndt, J. (2009) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0016417 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
Self-citationSubjective correlates and consequences of belief in free will
Crescioni, A. W., Baumeister, R., Ainsworth, S. E., Ent, M. R., & Lambert, N. (2016) · Philosophical Psychology · doi:10.1080/09515089.2014.996285 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
A Framework for the Experience of Meaning in Human-Computer Interaction
Mekler, E., & Hornbæk, K. (2019) · International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3290605.3300455 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
From Shattered Assumptions to Weakened Worldviews: Trauma Symptoms Signal Anxiety Buffer Disruption
Edmondson, D., Chaudoir, S. R., Mills, M. A., Park, C. L., Holub, J., & Bartkowiak, J. (2011) · Journal of loss & trauma · doi:10.1080/15325024.2011.572030 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Arndt, J., & Greenberg, J. (1999) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167299259001 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Self-citationA terror management perspective on the role of death-related anxiety in psychological dysfunction
Maxfield, M., John, S., & Pyszczynski, T. (2014) · The Humanistic Psychologist · doi:10.1080/08873267.2012.732155 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Self-citationTraces of Terror: Subliminal Death Primes and Facial Electromyographic Indices of Affect
Arndt, J., Allen, J. J. B., & Greenberg, J. (2001) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1023/a:1012276524327 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
Self-citationEdmondson, D. E., Park, C. L., Chaudoir, S. R., & Wortmann, J. H. (2008) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02152.x · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Arndt, M., Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., Pyszczynski, T., & al, E. (1997) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-3514.73.1.5 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Self-citationHow do People Grow from their Experience with Trauma or Loss?
Davis, C. G., & McKearney, J. M. (2003) · Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1521/jscp.22.5.477.22928 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
The worm at the core: A terror management perspective on the roots of psychological dysfunction
Arndt, J., Routledge, C., Cox, C. R., & Goldenberg, J. L. (2005) · Applied and Preventive Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.appsy.2005.07.002 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Self-citationVess, M., Arndt, J., Cox, C. R., Routledge, C., & Goldenberg, J. L. (2009) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0015545 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Self-citationTerror management theory: From genesis to revelations.
Greenberg, J. (2012) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/13748-001 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Self-citationMoreton, S. G., Szalla, L., Menzies, R. E., & Arena, A. F. A. (2019) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-019-05391-0 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Is meaning in life a flagship indicator of well-being?
Steger, M., Shin, J., Shim, Y., & Fitch-Martin, A. R. (2013) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/14092-009 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Boredom Increases Impulsiveness: A Meaning-Regulation Perspective
Moynihan, A., Igou, E., & Tilburg, W. A. P. V. (2017) · Social Psychology · doi:10.1027/1864-9335/a000317 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Steger, M. F. (2017) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781316339275.008 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Toward a Biological Understanding of Mortality Salience (And Other Threat Compensation Processes)
Tritt, S. M., Inzlicht, M., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2012) · Social Cognition · doi:10.1521/soco.2012.30.6.715 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Hofer, M. (2013) · Journal of Media Psychology · doi:10.1027/1864-1105/a000089 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Sensation seeking and risk taking in mortality salience
Rosenbloom, T. (2003) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/s0191-8869(03)00031-x · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Kong, D. T., & Belkin, L. Y. (2021) · Journal of Business Ethics · doi:10.1007/s10551-021-04950-w · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Arndt, J., Solomon, S., Kasser, T., & Sheldon, K. M. (2004) · Journal of Consumer Psychology · doi:10.1207/s15327663jcp1403_5 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Self-citationMcGregor, I., Hayes, J., & Prentice, M. S. (2015) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01325 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Arndt, J., & Solomon, S. (2003) · Journal of Research in Personality · doi:10.1016/s0092-6566(02)00530-5 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Self-citationDu, H., Li, X., Lin, D., & Tam, C. C. (2015) · Community Mental Health Journal · doi:10.1007/s10597-014-9785-9 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
“According to terror management theory (Simon et al. 1996, 1998; Solomon et al. 2004), cultural worldviews buffer against anxiety, and if individuals have more tenuous faith in cultural worldviews, they are more likely to be depressed.”
MethodBergman, Y. S., Bodner, E., & Haber, Y. (2018) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2017.12.078 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Death anxiety and mental health: Requiem for a dreamer
Menzies, R. E., & Menzies, R. G. (2023) · Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2022.101807 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Arndt, J., & Vess, M. (2008) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2008.00079.x · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Self-citationIs the Meaning of Life Also the Meaning of Death? A Terror Management Perspective Reply
Ben‐Ari, O. T. –. (2010) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-010-9201-2 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Salzman, M. B., & Halloran, M. J. (2004) · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Rieger, D., & Höfer, M. (2017) · Mass Communication & Society · doi:10.1080/15205436.2017.1300666 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Rutjens, B. T., & Loseman, A. (2010) · Group Processes & Intergroup Relations · doi:10.1177/1368430209351703 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Terror Management Theory Applied Clinically: Implications for Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy
Lewis, A. M. (2014) · Death Studies · doi:10.1080/07481187.2012.753557 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Systems of meaning and transference: Implicit significant-other activation evokes shared reality.
Przybylinski, E., & Andersen, S. M. (2015) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/pspi0000029 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Death anxiety and attitude to death in patients with schizophrenia and depression
Mavrogiorgou, P., Haller, K., & Juckel, G. (2020) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113148 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Psychological well-being and gene expression in Korean adults: The role of age
Lee, S., Choi, I., Choi, E.-S., Lee, M., Kwon, Y., Oh, B., & Cole, S. W. (2020) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104785 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Hall, B. J., Hobfoll, S. E., Canetti, D., Johnson, R. J., & Galea, S. (2009) · Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1521/jscp.2009.28.8.993 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
A Theory of Subjective Wellbeing
Fabian, M. (2022) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197635261.001.0001 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Calathes, W. (2017) · Contemporary Justice Review · doi:10.1080/10282580.2017.1383774 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Brennan, K. A., & Carnelley, K. B. (1999) · Psychological Inquiry · doi:10.1207/s15327965pli1004_2 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Mikulincer, M., Lifshin, U., & Shaver, P. R. (2020) · Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1521/jscp.2020.39.4.238 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Meaningfulness as a Resource to Mitigate Work Stress
Glazer, S., Kozusznik, M. W., Meyers, J. H., & Ganai, O. (2014) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118713860.ch8 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Dadfar, M., & Lester, D. (2017) · International Journal of Nursing Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2017.02.007 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Vail, K. E., Morgan, A., & Kahle, L. M. (2017) · Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice and Policy · doi:10.1037/tra0000304 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
The impact of mortality awareness on meaning in life among Christians and atheists
Vail, K. E., & Soenke, M. (2017) · Religion Brain & Behavior · doi:10.1080/2153599x.2016.1238845 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Die Angst vor dem Tod und ihre Bedeutung für die Psychiatrie
Juckel, G., & Mavrogiorgou, P. (2017) · Fortschritte der Neurologie · Psychiatrie · doi:10.1055/s-0043-122391 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Scared to death or scared to love? Terror management theory and close relationships seeking
Śmieja, M., Kałaska, M., & Adamczyk, M. (2006) · European Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1002/ejsp.301 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Managing an existential threat: how a global crisis contaminates organizational decision-making
Norris, J. I., de Calvo, M. P. C., & Mather, R. D. (2020) · Management Decision · doi:10.1108/md-08-2020-1034 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Effects of a Brief Mindfulness Induction on Death-Related Anxiety
Schultz, D. M., & Arnau, R. C. (2019) · Omega · doi:10.1177/0030222817721115 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Self-Consciousness and Death Cognitions from a Terror Management Perspective
Ben‐Ari, O. T. –., & Noy, A. (2010) · Death Studies · doi:10.1080/07481187.2010.496685 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Mortality salience influences attitudes and information-seeking behavior related to organ donation
Jain, P., & Ellithorpe, M. E. (2016) · Journal of Communications In Healthcare · doi:10.1080/17538068.2016.1183937 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Menzies, R. E., Sharpe, L., Helgadóttir, F. D., & Dar-Nimrod, I. (2021) · Behaviour Change · doi:10.1017/bec.2021.14 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
The Existential Quest: Doubt, Openness, and the Exploration of Religious Uncertainty
Arrowood, R. B., Vail, K. E., & Cox, C. R. (2021) · International Journal for the Psychology of Religion · doi:10.1080/10508619.2021.1902647 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Vess, M., Rogers, R., Routledge, C. D., & Hicks, J. A. (2016) · European Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1002/ejsp.2192 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Effects of Worldview and Mortality Salience in Persuasion Processes
Magee, R. G., & Kalyanaraman, S. (2009) · Media Psychology · doi:10.1080/15213260902849919 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
From Terror to Transcendence: Death Reflection Promotes Preferences for Human Drama
Khoo, G. S. (2017) · Media Psychology · doi:10.1080/15213269.2017.1338965 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Vail, K. E., Courtney, E. P., Goncy, E. A., Cornelius, T. M., & Edmondson, D. E. (2019) · Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1521/jscp.2019.38.6.501 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
The Effect of Mortality Salience on the Evaluation of Humorous Material
Hackney, C. H. (2011) · The Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1080/00224540903366735 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Altıntaş, H. K., & Şahin, N. E. (2025) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-025-05839-3 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Terror management theory and scrupulosity: An experimental investigation
Fergus, T. A., & Valentiner, D. P. (2012) · Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jocrd.2012.01.003 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Mascaro, N. (2014) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-0308-5_16 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Lee, S. M., Heflick, N. A., Park, J. W., Kim, H., Koo, J., & Chun, S. (2017) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-017-9615-9 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Chmielewski, F., Hanning, S., Swidder-Darku, J., Ueberberg, B., Juckel, G., & Mavrogiorgou, P. (2019) · Verhaltenstherapie (Basel) · doi:10.1159/000503979 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Bulut, M. B. (2020) · OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying · doi:10.1177/0030222820928148 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Wu, L. (2019) · Journal of Marketing Communications · doi:10.1080/13527266.2018.1461125 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Measuring Subjective Wellbeing
Fabian, M. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197635261.003.0011 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Woo, J.-H., & Bae, S.-M. (2025) · OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying · doi:10.1177/00302228221115586 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Roseby, W., Kettner, H., Roseman, L., Spriggs, M. J., Lyons, T., Peill, J., Giribaldi, B., Erritzøe, D., Nutt, D. J., & Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1580663 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Arrowood, R. B., Cox, C. R., & Ekas, N. V. (2017) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2017.03.016 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Is the Proposed Role of Excessive Reassurance-Seeking in Depression Excessive?
Greenberg, J. (2016) · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Self-citationThe effect of mortality salience on weapon bias
Bradley, K. I., & Kennison, S. M. (2011) · International Journal of Intercultural Relations · doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.09.006 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Which Cognitive Biases can Exacerbate our Workload?
Moss, S. A., Wilson, S. G., & Davis, J. M. (2016) · Australasian Journal of Organisational Psychology · doi:10.1017/orp.2016.1 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Francois, E. J. (2010) · ProQuest LLC eBooks · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Dehşet Yönetimi Kuramı Çerçevesinde Benlik Saygısı ve Bağlanmanın Rolü
Koç, V., & Kafa, G. (2018) · Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry · doi:10.18863/pgy.419330 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Diverging effect of mortality salience on risk taking: the moderating role of time horizon
Xiao, H., Liu, H., Guo, J., Chen, Y., Liu, H., Wang, Z., & Shang, Z. (2023) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-023-05157-0 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Fears of Death and Their Relationship to Mental Health
Zuccala, M., & Menzies, R. E. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-06932-1_4 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Hirano, K., Oba, K., Saito, T. I., Kawashima, R., & Sugiura, M. (2023) · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1188878 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
A Theory of Subjective WellbeingPreprint
Fabian, M. (2019) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3319510 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Zhou, J. L., Zhou, F., Tang, Y., & Ma, J. (2025) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-025-03037-9 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Lv, F., Feng, R., Tan, J., Li, J., Liu, Y., & Gao, D. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1512074 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Fabian, M. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197635261.003.0002 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
- Authors
- Simon, L., Arndt, J., Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- University of Arizona (US)
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs (US)
- Skidmore College (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1998-06
- Volume
- 66
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 359-382
- ISSN
- 0022-3506 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-6494
- OpenAlex
- W1595608663
- Cited by
- 127
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 3.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- Journal of Personality (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UA Campus Repository (The University of Arizona) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Keywords
- terror management theory, mortality salience, worldview defense, meaning in life, mild depression, cultural worldview, depression treatment
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Analysis of Variance, Attitude to Death, Depression, Female, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Severity of Illness Index, Social Perception
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
