Citation

Rubin M. J. Soc. Psychol. 2018; 158(3): 298-308.

Affiliation

a The University of Newcastle , Australia, School of Psychology , University Drive, Callaghan 2308 , USA .

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00224545.2017.1341375

PMID

28613995

Abstract

Terror management theory (TMT) proposes that thoughts of death trigger a concern about self-annihilation that motivates the defense of cultural worldviews. In contrast, uncertainty theorists propose that thoughts of death trigger feelings of uncertainty that motivate worldview defense. University students (N = 414) completed measures of the chronic fear of self-annihilation and existential uncertainty as well as the need for closure. They then evaluated either a meaning threat stimulus or a control stimulus. Consistent with TMT, participants with a high fear of self-annihilation and a high need for closure showed the greatest dislike of the meaning threat stimulus, even after controlling for their existential uncertainty. Contrary to the uncertainty perspective, fear of existential uncertainty showed no significant effects.

Language: en

Keywords

Meaning threat; need for closure; terror management theory; uncertainty