Evidence of a terror management function of cultural icons: The effects of mortality salience on the inappropriate use of cherished cultural symbols
Abstract
Based on the terror management notion that cultural icons are part of a system that provides protection from fears about one's mortality, it was hypothesized that reminding subjects of their mortality would make it more difficult for them to use cultural icons in an inappropriate way. Subjects responded to questions about either their own mortality or television, and then participated in two problem-solving tasks involving the culturally inappropriate use of cultural icons (a flag and crucifix) or the use of neutral objects. Although mortality salience did not affect actual use of the objects, it did increase the amount of time required to solve the problems, the number of alternative solutions generated, and the extent to which subjects expressed reluctance to use the icons. Mortality salience also increased subjects' reports of task difficulty and tension when the optimal solutions of the problems required inappropriate use of the cultural icons.
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Participants assigned to mortality salience conditions evidence increased aggression toward those who threaten important cultural beliefs.
“aggression toward those who threaten important cultural beliefs [8];”
From An Appreciative View of the Brighter Side of Terror Management Processes (2015) · cites this paper as [8]
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“, dental pain, uncertainty, failure, public speaking), evidence increased affinity for those who share important cultural beliefs and against those who hold opposing beliefs [7]; aggression toward those who threaten important cultural beliefs [8]; reluctance to misuse sacred cultural icons (e.”
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“This resonates with the recurrent Terror Management finding that cultural icons are often used to distance oneself from the fear of death (Greenberg et al., 1995), a role that may be naturally fulfilled by the symbolic power of brands (Elliott, 1994).”
Background
- Authors
- Greenberg, J., Porteus, J., Simon, L., Pyszczynski, T., & Solomon, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Arizona (US)
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs (US)
- Skidmore College (US)
- Venue
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1995-11
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1221-1228
- ISSN
- 0146-1672 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7433
- OpenAlex
- W2003737688
- Cited by
- 323
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 5.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (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, mortality salience, cultural icons, cultural symbols, crucifix, problem solving, creativity, task difficulty, tension, fear of death
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