Chapter 4 - The Method Behind the Science: A Guide to Conducting Terror Management Theory Research

Abstract

Terror management theory (TMT) argues that human awareness of the inevitability of death has a tremendous influence on people’s thoughts, feelings, motivations, and behaviors. Based on 30 years of empirical study, this chapter discusses methodological considerations when conducting research on TMT. We do this by (1) describing the various ways in which mortality salience has been manipulated, along with a discussion of different control conditions; (2) explaining the difference between proximal and distal defenses and when to use a delay (and the different types of delays utilized in TMT research); (3) providing information about various outcome measures, including worldview defense, self-esteem, relationship striving, and death-thought accessibility; and (4) reviewing work on moderating variables found to interact with reminders of death (both situational and personality characteristics). A brief discussion on future research directions is also provided.