The DOI matches its Crossref record; 1 of the 1 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The Body Stripped Down: An Existential Account of the Threat Posed by the Physical Body
Abstract
According to terror management theory, cultural beliefs and standards provide protection from fears associated with mortality by convincing individuals that their existence matters more than that of any mere mortal animal. The body threatens the efficacy of such mechanisms by reminding us that we are animals nonetheless, and therefore fated to death. I present research demonstrating that existential concerns contribute to uneasiness with the body, especially regarding sex, and also to pervasive concerns with how the body measures up to cultural standards, most obviously regarding women's appearance. These findings show that in effort to defend against threats associated with the body's physicality, people may deny themselves pleasure and endanger their health.
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To be reminded that one is an animal is to be reminded that one is a bleeding, defecating, and ultimately expiring organism.
“To be reminded that one is an animal is in effect to be reminded that one is a bleeding, defecating, and ultimately expiring organism”
From Disgusting Bodies, Disgusting Religion: The Biology of Tantra (2011) · cites this paper as Goldenberg 2005
Citations
Cites
Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., & Pyszczynski, T. (1997) · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/s0065-2601(08)60016-7 · Cited by 1,505
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 14
- Goldenberg J.L., Pyszczynski T., Greenberg J., Solomon S. (2000). Fleeing the body: A terror management perspective on the problem of human corporeality. Psychology and Social Psychology Review, 4, 200–218.
- Goldenberg J.L., Roberts T.-A. (2004). The beast within the beauty: An existential perspective on the objectification and condemnation of women. In Greenberg J., Koole S.L., Pyszczynski T. (Eds.), Handbook of Experimental Existential Psychology (pp. 71–85). New York: Guilford.
- Rozin P., Haidt J., McCauley C.R. (2000). Disgust. In Lewis M., Haviland J. (Eds.), Handbook of emotions (2nd ed., pp. 637–653). New York: Guilford.
- Becker E. (1973). The denial of death. New York: Free Press.
- Fromm E. (1955). The sane society. New York: Fawcett Books.
- Goldenberg J.L. Arndt J. Hart J. Brown M. (in press). Dying to be thin: The effects of mortality salience and body-mass index on restricted eating among women. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
- Goldenberg J.L. Arndt J. Routledge C. Hart J. (2005). Uncovering an existential barrier to breast cancer screening behavior. Manuscript submitted for publication.
- 10.1080/00224490209552155 · DOI
- Goldenberg J.L. Hart J. Pyszczynski T. Warnica G.M. Landau M. Thomas L. (2005). Terror of the body: Death neuroticism and the flight from physical sensation. Manuscript submitted for publication. · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1037/0096-3445.130.3.427 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1037/0022-3514.77.6.1173 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1016/0191-8869(94)90212-7 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1111/1471-6402.00051 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1177/0146167204264056 · DOI · Paper page
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Goldenberg, J. L., & Arndt, J. (2008) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/a0013326 · Cited by 320
Self-citationWhen 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
A 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
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
Self-citationDesire in the face of death: terror management, attachment, and sexual motivation
BIRNBAUM, G., HIRSCHBERGER, G., & GOLDENBERG, J. (2011) · Personal Relationships · doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01298.x · Cited by 45
Self-citationDisgusting Bodies, Disgusting Religion: The Biology of Tantra
Ellis, T. B. (2011) · Journal of the American Academy of Religion · doi:10.1093/jaarel/lfr077 · Cited by 13
Metadata
- Authors
- Goldenberg, J. L.
- Affiliations
- University of South Florida (US)
- Corresponding author
- Goldenberg, Jamie L.
- ORCID
- Goldenberg, Jamie L.
- Venue
- Current Directions in Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2005-08
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 224-228
- ISSN
- 0963-7214 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-8721
- OpenAlex
- W2142893129
- Cited by
- 68
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 9 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 6.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Current Directions in Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Keywords
- terror management theory, mortality concerns, body image, sex, women's appearance, cultural standards, existential concerns, body dissatisfaction, health risks, pleasure
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