TY - JOUR
T1 - Terror mismanagement
T2 - Evidence that mortality salience exacerbates phobic and compulsive behaviors
AU - Strachan, Eric
AU - Schimel, Jeff
AU - Arndt, Jamie
AU - Williams, Todd
AU - Solomon, Sheldon
AU - Pyszczynski, Tom
AU - Greenberg, Jeff
PY - 2007/8
Y1 - 2007/8
N2 - Terror management theory (TMT) posits that cultural worldviews and self-esteem function to buffer humans from mortality-related anxiety. TMT research has shown that important behaviors are influenced by mortality salience (MS) even when they have no obvious connection to death. However, there has been no attempt to investigate TMT processes in anxious responding. The present research examines that question. In Study 1, compared to a control condition, MS increased anxious responding to spider-related stimuli, but only for participants who met criteria for specific phobia. In Study 2, compared to an aversive control condition, MS increased time spent washing hands, but only for those scoring high on a measure of compulsive hand washing (CHW). In Study 3, compared to a different aversive control condition, MS increased avoidance of a social interaction, but only for those scoring high on a measure of social interaction anxiety. The relevance of TMT in anxious responding is discussed.
AB - Terror management theory (TMT) posits that cultural worldviews and self-esteem function to buffer humans from mortality-related anxiety. TMT research has shown that important behaviors are influenced by mortality salience (MS) even when they have no obvious connection to death. However, there has been no attempt to investigate TMT processes in anxious responding. The present research examines that question. In Study 1, compared to a control condition, MS increased anxious responding to spider-related stimuli, but only for participants who met criteria for specific phobia. In Study 2, compared to an aversive control condition, MS increased time spent washing hands, but only for those scoring high on a measure of compulsive hand washing (CHW). In Study 3, compared to a different aversive control condition, MS increased avoidance of a social interaction, but only for those scoring high on a measure of social interaction anxiety. The relevance of TMT in anxious responding is discussed.
KW - Anxiety
KW - Obsessive-compulsive disorder
KW - Social anxiety
KW - Specific phobia
KW - Terror management theory
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34547348343&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34547348343&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0146167207303018
DO - 10.1177/0146167207303018
M3 - Article
C2 - 17545415
AN - SCOPUS:34547348343
SN - 0146-1672
VL - 33
SP - 1137
EP - 1151
JO - Personality and social psychology bulletin
JF - Personality and social psychology bulletin
IS - 8
ER -