Terror Management Theory and Self-Esteem

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What is one of the criticisms of the claim that fear of death is a universal motivating force?

It only applies to certain cultures

It is only applicable to young people

It is only applicable to old people

There are examples of more positive reactions to mortality (correct)

What is stigma, according to Brown (2010)?

A characteristic that marks a group for social valuation

A characteristic that marks a person for social devaluation (correct)

A characteristic that marks a person for social valuation

A characteristic that marks a group for social devaluation

What is one of the negative experiences that stigmatised individuals often face?

Applause

Exclusion (correct)

Compliments

Encouragement

What is one of the coping strategies used by people belonging to stigmatised groups?

Attributing negative outcomes to prejudice of others Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for when groups that people are judged on can also be an important source of support?

Social Cure Signup and view all the answers

According to Realistic Conflict Theory (RCT), what happens when the interests of two groups coincide?

Relations between groups will be relatively harmonious Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a conflict that RCT can explain?

Conflict between men and women Signup and view all the answers

What is a criticism of Sherif's classic field experiments?

The complexity of the camp setting Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the negative outcomes of stigma, according to Swim et al. (2001)?

Low self-esteem Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a coping strategy that may be linked to lower perceived control?

Attributing negative outcomes to prejudice of others Signup and view all the answers

What is a limitation of the studies confirming Sherif's ideas?

They were set up to confirm Sherif's ideas, potentially biasing the results Signup and view all the answers

What is a condition for the Contact Hypothesis to be effective?

Intergroup cooperation Signup and view all the answers

What did a meta-analysis by Pettigrew & Tropp (2006) find?

A highly significant effect size (r = -.23) across 714 independent samples and 250,000 people Signup and view all the answers

What is an alternative explanation for how contact reduces prejudice?

Increased empathy and reduced anxiety Signup and view all the answers

What has been found to be more potent than positive contact?

Negative contact Signup and view all the answers

What is a concern with the generalization of effects in the Contact Hypothesis?

That improved attitudes only extend to outgroup members encountered during contact Signup and view all the answers

What did a study of white housewives in desegregated housing projects find?

More favorable attitudes towards integrated housing Signup and view all the answers

What is the Secondary Transfer Effect?

Contact between two groups leads to reduced prejudice towards other ethnic minorities Signup and view all the answers

What is an important factor for generalization in the Contact Hypothesis?

The typicality of outgroup members in contact situations Signup and view all the answers

Why may contact not be beneficial for minorities?

Because it undermines attempts to achieve equality Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of Terror Management Theory (TMT)?

To explain the role of self-esteem in anxiety reduction Signup and view all the answers

What is the consequence of humans' intellectual abilities, according to Becker's TMT?

Awareness of vulnerability and inevitable death Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of self-esteem in TMT?

A buffer against death anxiety Signup and view all the answers

According to Greenberg's study, what is the effect of increasing self-esteem?

Reduced anxiety and defensiveness Signup and view all the answers

What is the outcome of mortality salience (MS) on one's worldview, according to a study?

Increased faith in one's worldview Signup and view all the answers

What is the developmental origin of the link between self-esteem and protection from anxiety, according to TMT?

Early childhood interactions with parents Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of parents in shaping self-esteem, according to TMT?

They show goodness and value, helping children internalize standards Signup and view all the answers

What is a criticism of Terror Management Theory (TMT)?

It has a few criticisms despite a lot of research supporting it Signup and view all the answers

What is genocide?

An attempt to exterminate a group by creating conditions that lead to the group's destruction Signup and view all the answers

What is mass killing?

Killing group members of a group without the intention to eliminate the whole group Signup and view all the answers

What are the three major factors that contribute to genocide?

Difficult life conditions, certain cultural-societal characteristics, and a continuum of destruction Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of genocide on individuals?

A threat to self-concept and feelings of disorganization and anxiety Signup and view all the answers

Why do people turn against outgroups in times of crisis?

To devalue the outgroup and enhance their own self-esteem Signup and view all the answers

What is a cultural-societal characteristic that contributes to genocide?

Cultural devaluation of a subgroup Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of bystanders in genocide?

They can be either passive or active, and their inaction can contribute to the genocide Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of how people learn to harm others?

Through gradual escalation of harm, as shown in the Zimbardo experiment Signup and view all the answers

Why did the Nazis treat everyone badly in the concentration camps?

To break the will of the inmates and make them easier to control Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of genocide on society?

A sense of collective guilt and responsibility Signup and view all the answers

What type of bystanders are characterized as passive?

External bystanders Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of the protest by German women during the Holocaust?

The men were all freed and defined as 'privileged persons' Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of Social Identity Theory (SIT)?

To explain intergroup behavior and discrimination Signup and view all the answers

What is a key assumption of Social Identity Theory (SIT)?

That individuals engage in social categorization Signup and view all the answers

What is a prediction made by Social Identity Theory (SIT)?

That comparisons favoring the ingroup lead to positive self-esteem Signup and view all the answers

What is a criticism of Social Identity Theory (SIT)?

That the relationship between self-esteem and intergroup discrimination is more complex than initially proposed Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a self-esteem enhancement strategy according to Social Identity Theory (SIT)?

Social mobility to join a higher-status group Signup and view all the answers

What is a factor that can influence the choice of self-esteem enhancement strategies according to Social Identity Theory (SIT)?

Group boundary permeability Signup and view all the answers

What is a limitation of Social Identity Theory (SIT)?

Its predictions may not hold in all contexts Signup and view all the answers

What is a type of strategy used when group boundaries are impermeable according to Social Identity Theory (SIT)?

Social creativity Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Terror Management Theory (TMT)

Proposes that people are motivated to maintain a positive self-image because self-esteem protects them from anxiety
According to Becker, humans' intellectual abilities lead to awareness of vulnerability and inevitable death, causing potential for debilitating anxiety
To manage this, people often adopt cultural worldviews that provide a sense of meaning and order, and self-esteem serves as a buffer against death anxiety
The link between self-esteem and protection from anxiety develops in early childhood through interactions with parents
Parents' love and protection can show goodness and value, which can help children internalize these standards
Meeting these internalized standards (self-esteem) becomes associated with feelings of safety and security

Research Supporting TMT

Greenberg's study showed that increasing self-esteem reduces anxiety and defensiveness in response to threatening stimuli
Mortality salience (MS) has been found to increase the need for faith in one's worldview

Criticisms of TMT

People have questioned whether fear of death is truly a universal motivating force
Others have proposed alternate explanations for MS effects, such as motives for uncertainty reduction, meaning, and belonging
MS can also lead to opposing effects

Stigma and Well-being

Stigma is defined as any characteristic that marks a person for social devaluation
Stigmatised individuals often face a range of negative experiences, including harm, exclusion, and verbal and physical abuse
These experiences can lead to anger, anxiety, low self-esteem, stress, and shame
Coping strategies used by stigmatised individuals to protect themselves include restricting comparisons to within-group members, disengaging from dimensions, and attributing negative outcomes to prejudice

Group identification has been linked to reduced depression, increased control, resilience, better health, and improved well-being
Identification with groups can help individuals find ways to protect themselves

Realistic Conflict Theory (RCT)

States that people's attitudes towards ingroup and outgroup members reflect the objective interests of the ingroup
RCT assumes that if the interests of two groups coincide, then relations between groups will be relatively harmonious
If there is conflict between the two groups, then relations between groups will become hostile

Evidence Supporting RCT

RCT can explain various conflicts, such as those between men and women, Palestinians and Israelis, Catholics and Protestants, and racial groups
Economic competition has been linked to intergroup violence
RCT can account for historical specificity of prejudice, such as changes in attitudes towards the USSR after WWII and towards Americans before and after the Gulf War

Criticisms and Limitations of RCT

Sherif's studies have been criticized for methodological issues, such as the complexity of the camp setting, experimenter involvement, and ethical concerns
RCT may oversimplify the causes of intergroup conflict, as other factors such as beliefs, culture, and individual differences can also play a role
The theory assumes that conflict is always perceived as a zero-sum game, which may not always be the case

The Contact Hypothesis

Suggests that intergroup conflict can be reduced by bringing groups into contact under certain conditions, including equal status, common goals, intergroup cooperation, support of authorities, and acquaintance or friendship potential
Evidence supporting the contact hypothesis includes:
- Early evidence from the desegregation of the merchant marine in 1948
- Studies of white housewives in desegregated housing projects
- Recent evidence from a wide variety of groups, including Chinese students in the U.S., German and Turkish school children, and various stigmatised groups
- A meta-analysis found a highly significant effect size across 714 independent samples and 250,000 people

Criticisms and Limitations of the Contact Hypothesis

The assumption that contact reduces prejudice through reduced ignorance has been questioned
Alternative explanations focusing on reduced anxiety and increased empathy have been proposed
The generalization of effects has been a concern, with some studies finding that improved attitudes towards outgroup members encountered during contact do not always extend to other outgroup members
The typicality of outgroup members in contact situations has been shown to be important for generalization

Genocide and the Holocaust

Genocide refers to an attempt to exterminate a group by creating conditions that lead to the group's destruction
Mass killing is apart from genocide, and refers to killing group members of a group without the intention to eliminate the whole group
The Holocaust resulted in the deaths of 6 million Jews and 5 million others
Factors contributing to genocide include:
- Difficult life conditions
- Cultural-societal characteristics
- A continuum of destruction
- Economic, political, and cultural factors
The way in which we attempt to resolve this problem of genocide can cause us to turn against outgroups

Aims to explain intergroup behavior and discrimination
Assumes that individuals engage in social categorization to simplify the complex social world
Social categorization is not neutral but occurs with respect to the self, leading to the formation of a 'social identity' or 'social self'
SIT predicts an inherent need to evaluate the self positively, which is achieved through comparisons with relevant outgroups
Comparisons favoring the ingroup lead to a positive social identity and self-esteem, while comparisons favoring the outgroup result in a negative social identity and poor self-esteem

Evidence Supporting SIT

Studies provide support for SIT's predictions regarding the link between social identity and intergroup discrimination

Criticisms and Limitations of SIT

The relationship between self-esteem and intergroup discrimination is more complex than initially proposed by SIT
SIT does not always predict intergroup discrimination as a means of enhancing self-esteem
The theory's predictions may not hold in all contexts, as factors such as group boundary permeability, status stability, and perceived legitimacy of status differences can influence the choice of self-esteem enhancement strategies

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Evaluating the Terror Management Theory proposed by Solomon et al. in 1991, which explains the human need for self-esteem and its role in protecting against anxiety. This essay examines the key aspects, evidence, and criticisms of TMT.