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Cited by 210Death Anxiety and Social ExclusionDeath, Funerary Practices, and MourningSocial and Intergroup Psychology

Greed, death, and values: From terror management to transcendence management theory

Cozzolino, Philip J., Staples, Angela Dawn, Meyers, Lawrence S., Samboceti, Jamie·2004·Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
DOI 10.1177/0146167203260716
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Abstract

Research supporting terror management theory has shown that participants facing their death (via mortality salience) exhibit more greed than do control participants. The present research attempts to distinguish mortality salience from other forms of mortality awareness. Specifically, the authors look to reports of near-death experiences and posttraumatic growth which reveal that many people who nearly die come to view seeking wealth and possession as empty and meaningless. Guided by these reports, a manipulation called death reflection was generated. In Study 1, highly extrinsic participants who experienced death reflection exhibited intrinsic behavior. In Study 2, the manipulation was validated, and in Study 3, death reflection and mortality salience manipulations were compared. Results showed that mortality salience led highly extrinsic participants to manifest greed, whereas death reflection again generated intrinsic, unselfish behavior. The construct of value orientation is discussed along with the contrast between death reflection manipulation and mortality salience.

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  • Mortality salience amplifies greed and materialism.

    “amplifies greed and materialism”

    From When Death is Good for Life: Considering the Positive Trajectories of Terror Management (2012) · cites this paper as Cozzolino, Staples, Meyers, & Samboceti, 2004

  • Across three similar studies, among participants with initially stronger extrinsic goal orientations, the death-reflection condition reduced the number of tickets taken from the limited public supply.

    “Across three similar studies, among participants with initially stronger extrinsic goal orientations, the death-reflection condition reduced the number of tickets taken from the limited public supply.”

    From When Death is Good for Life: Considering the Positive Trajectories of Terror Management (2012) · cites this paper as Cozzolino et al., 2004

  • Among participants with initially stronger extrinsic (culturally dictated) goal orientations, the number of raffle tickets taken from a limited public supply was increased in a mortality salience condition, but not in a death reflection condition.

    “In those studies, among participants with initially stronger extrinsic (culturally dictated) goal orientations, the number of raffle tickets (good for a chance to win $100) taken from a limited public supply was increased in an MS condition, but not in a death reflection (based on anecdotal reports of NDEs) condition.”

    From An Appreciative View of the Brighter Side of Terror Management Processes (2015) · cites this paper as [137]

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Related

Authors
Cozzolino, P. J., Staples, A. D., Meyers, L. S., & Samboceti, J.
Affiliations
  • University of Minnesota (US)
  • California State University, Sacramento (US)
ORCID
Venue
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2004-03
Volume
30
Issue
3
Pages
278-292
ISSN
  • 0146-1672 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-7433
DOI
10.1177/0146167203260716
OpenAlex
W2093665885
Cited by
210
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 3
FWCI
5.10
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Open Access at Essex (University of Essex) (submittedVersion)
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, mortality salience, greed, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, near-death experiences, posttraumatic growth, value orientations, death awareness
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Attitude, Attitude to Death, Economics, Fear, Female, Humans, Internal-External Control, Male, Middle Aged, Psychological Theory, Random Allocation, Social Values

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