Terror Management Theory: A Practical Review of Research and Application
Abstract
From the perspective of terror management theory (TMT), the awareness of death is problematic as it has the potential to increase anxiety. It would be hard to function when faced with this fear; thus, people defend themselves from heightened mortality awareness by adhering to their cultural beliefs (e.g., religion, nationalism), having positive self-views (i.e., self-esteem), and/or turning toward their relationships with close others. The purpose of the current volume is to introduce readers to the field of experimental existential psychology (broadly) and TMT (specifically). To do this, Section 1 will provide an introduction to the field, along with discussing methodological considerations when conducting terror management research. Section 2 was written to discuss some of the applied implications of TMT as it is relates to close relationships, religion, politics and law, positivity, and existential growth. Much work from a terror management tradition has been interested in how death concerns affect physical and psychological health. Because of this, Section 3 will introduce two variations of TMT (i.e., Terror Management Health Model [TMHM] & Anxiety-buffer Disruption Theory [ABDT]), with implications for individuals’ well-being. Finally, Section 4 will discuss alternative perspectives and controversies within the field. Throughout this volume, we provide a discussion on potential avenues of future study.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
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?
Transient shifts in behaviors and attitudes occurring in response to MS can be drastic, even violent, and typically serve to support an in-group, punish an out-group, reinforce a positive self-concept, and/or defend one's worldview.
“The transient shifts in behaviors and attitudes occurring in response to MS can be drastic, even violent, and typically serve to support an in-group, punish an out-group, reinforce a positive self-concept (i.e., self-esteem), and/or defend one’s worldview [9].”
From Not so terrifying after all? A set of failed replications of the mortality salience effects of Terror Management Theory (2023) · cites this paper as [9]
Ample previous work has established that liberal people defend liberal worldviews during existential threat.
“Indeed, ample previous work has established that liberal people defend liberal worldviews during existential threat [9]”
From Not so terrifying after all? A set of failed replications of the mortality salience effects of Terror Management Theory (2023) · cites this paper as [9]
Cites
Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science
Open Science Collaboration (2015) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aac4716 · Cited by 8,515 · see citing works
The Causes and Consequences of a Need for Self-Esteem: A Terror Management Theory
Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S. (1986) · Public Self and Private Self · doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-9564-5_10 · Cited by 2,326 · see citing works
The Meaning Maintenance Model: On the Coherence of Social Motivations
Heine, S. J., Proulx, T., & Vohs, K. D. (2006) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1207/s15327957pspr1002_1 · Cited by 1,437 · see citing works
Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., Solomon, S., Rosenblatt, A., Veeder, M., Kirkland, S., & Lyon, D. (1990) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.58.2.308 · Cited by 1,412 · see citing works
The three meanings of meaning in life: Distinguishing coherence, purpose, and significance
Martela, F., & Steger, M. F. (2016) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2015.1137623 · Cited by 1,401 · see citing works
Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., & Pyszczynski, T. (1991) · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/s0065-2601(08)60328-7 · Cited by 1,296 · see citing works
Two 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
Landau, M. J., Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., Cohen, F., Pyszczynski, T., Arndt, J., Miller, C. H., Ogilvie, D. M., & Cook, A. (2004) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167204267988 · Cited by 663 · see citing works
Death 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
Hayes, J., Schimel, J., Arndt, J., & Faucher, E. H. (2010) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/a0020524 · Cited by 389 · see citing works
Dechesne, M., Pyszczynski, T., Arndt, J., Ransom, S., Sheldon, K. M., van Knippenberg, A., & Janssen, J. (2003) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.722 · Cited by 375 · see citing works
Florian, V., Mikulincer, M., & Hirschberger, G. (2002) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.82.4.527 · Cited by 334 · see citing works
Subliminal exposure to death-related stimuli increases defense of the cultural worldview
Arndt, J., Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S. (1997) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.1997.tb00429.x · Cited by 297 · 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
Terror 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
Routledge, C., & Juhl, J. (2010) · Cognition & Emotion · doi:10.1080/02699930902847144 · Cited by 183 · see citing works
Greenberg, J., Martens, A., Jonas, E., Eisenstadt, D., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S. (2003) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/1467-9280.03454 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Rothschild, Z. K., Abdollahi, A., & Pyszczynski, T. (2009) · Journal of Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2009.05.016 · Cited by 157 · see citing works
General and personal mortality salience and nationalistic bias
Nelson, L. J., Moore, D. L., Olivetti, J., & Scott, T. (1997) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167297238008 · Cited by 139 · see citing works
Taubman‐Ben‐Ari, O., Findler, L., & Mikulincer, M. (2002) · British Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1348/014466602760344296 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Greenberg, J., Vail, K., & Pyszczynski, T. (2014) · Advances in Motivation Science · doi:10.1016/bs.adms.2014.08.003 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
The role of close relationships in terror management: a systematic review and research agenda
Plusnin, N., Pepping, C. A., & Kashima, E. S. (2018) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/1088868317753505 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Simon, L., Greenberg, J., Jones, E. H., Solomon, S., & Pyszczynsid, T. (1996) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167296221008 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Same but different: meta-analytically examining the uniqueness of mortality salience effects
Martens, A., Burke, B. L., Schimel, J., & Faucher, E. H. (2011) · European Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1002/ejsp.767 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Fear appeals and binge drinking: A terror management theory perspective
Jessop, D. C., & Wade, J. (2008) · British Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1348/135910707x272790 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Extent of trauma exposure and PTSD symptom severity as predictors of anxiety-buffer functioning
Chatard, A., Pyszczynski, T., Arndt, J., Selimbegović, L., Konan, P. N., & Van der Linden, M. (2012) · Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy · doi:10.1037/a0021085 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Schimel, J., Wohl, M. J. A., & Williams, T. (2006) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-006-9040-y · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Abdollahi, A., Pyszczynski, T., Maxfield, M., & Luszczynska, A. (2011) · Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy · doi:10.1037/a0021084 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Desire 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 · see citing works
Routledge, C., Arndt, J., & Sheldon, K. M. (2004) · European Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1002/ejsp.209 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Kosloff, S., & Greenberg, J. (2009) · Journal of Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2008.08.022 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Terror Management Theory and Psychological Disorder
Yetzer, A. M., & Pyszczynski, T. (2019) · Handbook of Terror Management Theory · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-811844-3.00018-4 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Landau, M. J., Greenberg, J., & Sullivan, D. (2009) · Journal of Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2008.08.007 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Routledge, C., Arndt, J., Vess, M., & Sheldon, K. M. (2008) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-008-9108-y · Cited by 35 · see citing works
An Appreciative View of the Brighter Side of Terror Management Processes
Vail, III, & Juhl, J. (2015) · Social Sciences · doi:10.3390/socsci4041020 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Terror in time: extending culturomics to address basic terror management mechanisms
Dechesne, M., & Bandt-Law, B. (2019) · Cognition and Emotion · doi:10.1080/02699931.2018.1460322 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Treger, S., Benau, E. M., & Timko, C. A. (2023) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0285267 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Methodological weakness of the death-word-fragment task: Alternative implicit death anxiety measures
Naidu, P. A., Hine, T. J., & Glendon, A. I. (2022) · Death Studies · doi:10.1080/07481187.2020.1846228 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
- Authors
- Arrowood, R. B., & Cox, C. R.
- Affiliations
- Texas Christian University (US)
- Venue
- Brill Research Perspectives in Religion and Psychology
- Publisher
- Walter de Gruyter GmbH
- Published
- 2020-02-18
- Volume
- 2
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-83
- ISSN
- 2589-711X (ISSN-L)
- 2589-7128
- OpenAlex
- W2998985203
- Cited by
- 18
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 2.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Brill Research Perspectives in Religion and Psychology (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, death awareness, fear of death, existential psychology, nationalism, self-esteem, close relationships, law and politics, positivity, well-being
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
