Terror Management Theory (TMT) and Self-Esteem

Mortality Salience = Fear of death that motivates human behavior Social Cure = Groups can be a source of support and protection Realistic Conflict Theory = Explains how intergroup conflicts arise from conflicting interests Stigma = A characteristic that marks a person for social devaluation

Campbell = Defined Realistic Conflict Theory Sherif = Conducted classic field experiments on intergroup conflict Brown = Defined stigma as a characteristic that marks a person for social devaluation Crocker = Showed that attributing negative outcomes to prejudice can help maintain self-esteem

Stigma = Leads to negative experiences, such as exclusion and low self-esteem Social Cure = Linked to reduced depression, increased control, and better health Mortality Salience = Motivates human behavior and can lead to opposing effects Realistic Conflict Theory = Explains how intergroup conflicts arise from conflicting interests

<p>Jacobs &amp; Wood's (1999) study = Economic competition linked to intergroup violence Sherif et al.'s (1961) study = Intergroup competition leads to hostility, while cooperation promotes harmony Turner et al.'s (1992) study = Changes in attitudes towards Americans before and after the Gulf War Howitt et al.'s (1989) study = Changes in attitudes towards the USSR after WWII</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ingroup = A group an individual feels a sense of belonging to Outgroup = A group an individual does not feel a sense of belonging to Discrimination = The unequal treatment of different groups Prejudice = An unjustified or unreasonable attitude towards a group</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Stigma = Prejudice Social Cure = Group identification Mortality Salience = Fear of death Realistic Conflict Theory = Intergroup conflict</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Kamyangara et al. = Linked stigma to shame Swim et al. = Linked stigma to low self-esteem Herek et al. = Linked stigma to stress Crocker &amp; Major = Showed that people use coping strategies to protect themselves</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Stigma = Leads to negative outcomes, such as low self-esteem and anxiety Social Cure = Linked to improved well-being and better health Mortality Salience = Motivates human behavior, but can lead to opposing effects Realistic Conflict Theory = Explains how intergroup conflicts arise from conflicting interests</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sherif et al.'s (1961) study = Methodological issues, such as experimenter involvement and complexity of the camp setting Jacobs &amp; Wood's (1999) study = Limited to economic competition as a cause of intergroup violence Turner et al.'s (1992) study = Limited to changes in attitudes towards Americans before and after the Gulf War Howitt et al.'s (1989) study = Limited to changes in attitudes towards the USSR after WWII</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Realistic Conflict Theory = Explains how intergroup conflicts arise from conflicting interests Social Cure = Groups can be a source of support and protection Mortality Salience = Motivates human behavior and can lead to opposing effects on relationships Stigma = Leads to negative experiences, such as exclusion and low self-esteem</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Solomon et al. = Proposed TMT in 1991 Becker = Linked humans' intellectual abilities to awareness of vulnerability and death Greenberg = Showed that increasing self-esteem reduces anxiety and defensiveness Cialdini et al. = Found self-esteem related to self-serving biases and social comparisons</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Self-esteem = A buffer against death anxiety Self-serving biases = A tendency to attribute success to internal factors Mortality salience = The awareness of one's own mortality Social comparisons = A process of evaluating oneself by comparing to others</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Terror Management Theory = Explains the human need for self-esteem Cultural worldview = Provides a sense of meaning and order Self-esteem theory = Links self-esteem to various psychological and behavioural outcomes Social comparison theory = Explains how people evaluate themselves by comparing to others</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Equal status = Have to cooperate Common goals = Support of authorities law or custom Intergroup cooperation = Acquaintance or friendship potential Support of authorities law or custom = Has to be seen as non-normative</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Lester = Found links between self-esteem and psychological and behavioural outcomes Rosenberg &amp; Simmons = Found self-esteem related to social comparisons Leary = Found self-esteem related to self-serving biases Greenberg = Found that increasing self-esteem reduces anxiety and defensiveness</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Allport = Proposed the Contact Hypothesis Pettigrew = Conducted a meta-analysis of the Contact Hypothesis Wright = Found that extended contact reduces prejudice Aronson = Showed the effect of vicarious contact through stories and media</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Anxiety = A potential outcome of awareness of vulnerability and death Cultural worldview = A belief system that provides a sense of meaning and order Death anxiety = A fear of one's own mortality Self-image = A person's perception of themselves</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Mortality salience = Increases the need for faith in one's worldview Self-esteem = Reduces anxiety and defensiveness in response to threatening stimuli Cultural worldview = Provides a sense of meaning and order TMT = Explains the human need for self-esteem</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Decategorization Model = Proposes that contact reduces bias by reducing intergroup boundaries Common Ingroup Identity Model = Proposes that contact reduces bias by creating a common identity Secondary Transfer Effect = Suggests that contact between two groups can lead to reduced prejudice towards other ethnic minorities Imagined contact = Reduces prejudice by imagining contact with outgroup members</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Generalization of effects = Concern that improved attitudes may not extend to other outgroup members Typicality of outgroup members = Importance of outgroup members being seen as representative Negative contact = Found to be more potent than positive contact Small correlation = Weak correlation between contact and reduced prejudice</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Internalized standards = A set of standards internalized from parents' love and protection Self-esteem = A buffer against death anxiety Defense mechanism = A way to cope with anxiety and defensiveness Worldview = A belief system that provides a sense of meaning and order</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>TMT = Proposes that self-esteem develops in early childhood through interactions with parents Cultural worldview = Provides a sense of meaning and order Self-esteem = A buffer against death anxiety Mortality salience = Increases the need for faith in one's worldview</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Reduced ignorance = Assumes that contact reduces prejudice through reduced ignorance Reduced anxiety and increased empathy = Alternative explanations for prejudice reduction Lack of effectiveness for minorities = Contact may not be as beneficial for minorities Sherif's ideas = Criticisms of the Contact Hypothesis based on oversimplification of intergroup conflict</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Desegregation of the merchant marine = Increased contact led to more positive racial attitudes White housewives in desegregated housing projects = More favorable attitudes towards integrated housing Pettigrew and Tropp's meta-analysis = Highly significant effect size of r = -.23 Tausch et al.'s study = Found that contact between two groups can lead to reduced prejudice towards other ethnic minorities</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Brewer = Decategorization Model Gaertner and Dovidio = Common Ingroup Identity Model Pettigrew = Contact Hypothesis Tausch = Secondary Transfer Effect</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Exact psychological processes = Debated mechanisms for reducing bias Generalization of effects = Concern that improved attitudes may not extend to other outgroup members Negative contact = Found to be more potent than positive contact Lack of effectiveness for minorities = Contact may not be as beneficial for minorities</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Vicarious contact = Reducing prejudice through stories and media Extended contact = Reducing prejudice through extended interactions Imagined contact = Reducing prejudice by imagining contact with outgroup members Common goals = Working together towards a shared objective</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Barlow et al.'s study = Negative contact found to be more potent than positive contact Dixon et al.'s study = Contact may not be as beneficial for minorities Pettigrew's study = Early evidence showing increased contact led to more positive racial attitudes Wilder's study = Found that attitudes improve only when outgroup members are seen as representative</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Genocide = Killing group members of a group without the intention to eliminate the whole group Mass killing = An attempt to exterminate a group by creating conditions that lead to the group's destruction Holocaust = A specific genocide that resulted in 6 million Jewish deaths and 5 million other deaths None of the above = Does not match any of the above definitions</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Difficult life conditions = Economic difficulties such as inflation and depression Certain cultural-societal characteristics = Devaluation of a subgroup, respect for authority, and an ideology Continuum of destruction = A process where harm and killing escalate over time None of the above = Does not match any of the above descriptions</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Threat to self-concept = Feeling disorganized and anxious Blaming the outgroup = Enhancing self-esteem by devaluing others Anxiety and disorganization = Reduced by turning against the outgroup None of the above = Does not match any of the above effects</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Cultural devaluation of a subgroup = Believing one group is superior to another Strong respect for authority = Obedience to authority figures Ideology = A set of beliefs that justify harmful actions Social organization = A structured system that enables harm</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Passive bystanders = Witnessing harm and not intervening Active bystanders = Benefitting from the harm of others, such as taking their jobs and homes Empathetic bystanders = Feeling bad for the victims and intervening to help None of the above = Does not match any of the above actions</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Zimbardo's experiment = Teachers administered increasingly intense electric shocks to learners over time Nazi Germany = Bystanders benefitted from the harm of Jews Holocaust = 6 million Jews and 5 million others were killed None of the above = Does not match any of the above findings</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Feeling disorganized and anxious = Threat to self-concept Devaluing outgroups = Enhancing self-esteem Reducing feelings of disorganization = Turning against the outgroup None of the above = Does not match any of the above consequences</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Genocide = A specific type of mass killing Mass killing = Killing a large number of people Holocaust = A genocide that occurred during World War II None of the above = Does not match any of the above descriptions</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Starting with less intense harm = Escalating harm over time Motivation to harm = Increasing over time Motivation against killing = Decreasing over time None of the above = Does not match any of the above effects</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Passive bystanders = Allowing genocide to happen Active bystanders = Benefitting from the harm of others Empathetic bystanders = Reducing genocide None of the above = Does not match any of the above consequences</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Internal bystanders = Passive and ignore the violence External bystanders = Protest against the Nazi's anti-jewish measures</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Social Identity Theory = Tajfel and Turner Continuum of Destruction = Unknown Holocaust = Unknown Genocide = Unknown</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Social categorization = Simplifying the complex social world Social identity = Formed through social categorization Intergroup discrimination = Comparisons favoring the ingroup Self-esteem = Achieved through comparisons with outgroups</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Social mobility = Leaving one group to join another Social change = Finding new comparison dimensions Social competition = Direct competition with the outgroup Social creativity = Redefining negative attributes</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Tajfel and Turner = Developed Social Identity Theory Hunter et al. = Provided evidence supporting SIT Lemyre and Smith = Provided evidence supporting SIT Branscombe and Wann = Provided evidence supporting SIT</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Positive social identity = High self-esteem Negative social identity = Low self-esteem Intergroup discrimination = Favoring the ingroup Social categorization = Simplifying the social world</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Relationship between self-esteem and intergroup discrimination = More complex than initially proposed Predictions may not hold in all contexts = Dependent on group boundary permeability Alternative strategies = Social mobility and social creativity Criticisms of SIT = The relationship between self-esteem and intergroup discrimination</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Social identity = Self-esteem Intergroup discrimination = Social categorization Social mobility = Leaving one group to join another Social change = Finding new comparison dimensions</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Holocaust = Genocide during World War II Deportation centre protest = Women protesting against the Nazis German ally government = Intervened to stop Jewish deportation Nazi's anti-jewish measures = Surprised by the lack of reaction</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Positive social identity = High self-esteem and well-being Negative social identity = Low self-esteem and poor well-being Intergroup discrimination = Negative impact on well-being Social categorization = No direct impact on well-being</p> Signup and view all the answers