Through a novel application of terror management theory, we investigated the effect of mortality salience and reminders of terrorism on people's perceptions of the effectiveness and acceptability of interrogation techniques. A dimensional structure by which people perceive interrogation techniques was identified. Mortality salience was found to induce higher levels of acceptance of violent and demeaning techniques, but no other significant effects were found. In line with terror management theory, the effect of mortality salience on only the perceived acceptability of violent interrogation techniques suggests that people may be motivated to endorse the usage of punitive techniques on military prisoners, regardless of the perceived effectiveness of these techniques.