Citation

Lifshin U, Greenberg J, Zestcott CA, Sullivan D. Person. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 2017; 43(6): 743-757.

Affiliation

University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0146167217697092

PMID

28903669

Abstract

This research tested whether support for the killing of animals serves a terror management function. In five studies, death primes caused participants to support the killing of animals more than control primes, unless the participants' self-esteem had been elevated (Study 4). This effect was not moderated by gender, preexisting attitudes toward killing animals or animal rights, perceived human-animal similarity, religiosity, political orientation, or by the degree to which the killing was justified. Support for killing animals after subliminal death primes was also associated with an increased sense of power and invulnerability (Study 5). Implications and future directions are discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

genocide; human–animal relations; terror management; violence