Big Data Analysis of Terror Management Theory’s Predictions in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Open accessAbstract
The current study aimed to address the limitations of the terror management theory literature by using big data analysis to examine the theory’s predictions in the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, Google Trends were examined before and after the first COVID-19 case was identified in Singapore. The results showed that there was a significant increase in mortality salience, intergroup conflict, and prosocial behavior, and a significant decrease in materialism after the first COVID-19 case was identified. However, no significant differences were found for anxiety. Limitations include the assumption that search terms reflect intentions that would eventually lead to a relevant behavior and the lack of data from other sources to corroborate with the results from Google Trends. Future research could use data from other sources to examine the effects of COVID-19 on theoretically relevant behaviors.
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The COVID-19 pandemic and its sequelae are impacting views of mortality in ways we are only beginning to ascertain.
“Although the data collected here predate the global COVID-19 pandemic by several years, this epoch, its sequelae, and subsequent upheaval are impacting views of mortality in ways we are only beginning to ascertain [133–135] .”
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 [133]
Cites
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Treger, S., Benau, E. M., & Timko, C. A. (2023) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0285267 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
- Authors
- Chew, P. K. H.
- Affiliations
- James Cook University Singapore (SG)
- Corresponding author
- Chew, Peter K. H.
- ORCID
- Chew, Peter K. H.
- Venue
- OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2022-04-20
- Volume
- 89
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 1162-1175
- ISSN
- 0030-2228 (ISSN-L)
- 1541-3764
- PMC
- PMC9024090
- OpenAlex
- W4224255298
- Cited by
- 12
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5
- FWCI
- 1.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Data-Driven Disease Surveillance
- Keywords
- terror management theory, COVID-19 pandemic, mortality salience, intergroup conflict, prosocial behavior, materialism, anxiety, Google Trends, search behavior
- MeSH terms
- Big Data, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Anxiety, Female, Humans, Male, Psychological Theory, Singapore, Pandemics
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