Terror Management Theory: How Humans Cope With the Awareness of Their Own Death

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Terror Management Theory (TMT) suggests that human beings are uniquely capable of recognizing their own deaths and therefore they must manage the existential anxiety and fear that comes with knowing their time on Earth is limited.

In this article, we’ll review key concepts of TMT, look at empirical evidence in support of TMT, explore real-life examples of TMT, and discuss how it is used across different fields.

Key Concepts and Principles of Terror Management Theory

Terror Management Theory explains that people protect themselves against mortality salience, or awareness of one’s own death, based on whether their fears are conscious or unconscious.

Cultural worldviews and self-esteem are key concepts of TMT. They are both central to protection against mortality salience.David Tzall, PsyD, a licensed psychologist in New York, notes, “TMT suggests that individuals gravitate towards and defend their cultural worldviews more strongly when confronted with thoughts of mortality.”

Through cultural worldviews, people can achieve literal or symbolic immortality. Literal immortality, the idea that we will continue to exist after our death, is usually the domain of religious cultural worldviews. Symbolic immortality is the idea that something greater than oneself continues to exist after their death, such as families, monuments, books, paintings, or anything else that continues to exist after they’re gone.

TMT suggests that individuals gravitate towards and defend their cultural worldviews more strongly when confronted with thoughts of mortality.

Self-esteem plays a significant role in TMT too. “When faced with the awareness of death,” Tzall says, “people often engage in activities or behaviors that boost theirself-esteemas a way to manage the anxiety associated with mortality.” In so doing, they provide the sense that they are a valuable participant  in a meaningful universe.

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Review of Empirical Evidence Supporting Terror Management Theory

There are over 500 studies conducted in countries around the world supporting TMT. For example, one study found that raising self-esteem reduces anxiety in response to images of death.Similarly,increasing self-esteemreduces the effects of mortality salience on the defense of one’s worldview. When the researchers provided positive personality feedback instead of neutral feedback, their preference for a US-based author was equivalent to that of the control group, whereas participants who received neutral feedback far exceeded the control group in preference for the author.

Another study found that worldview threats increase accessibility of death thoughts. When Canadians were exposed to a website that either derogated Canadian values or Australian values, they had far more thoughts about death when they encountered the anti-Canadian information.

Real-Life Examples Illustrating the Application of Terror Management Theory

There are many ways that terror management theory can be applied to real life. Tzall provides some examples, such as “religion where religious beliefs and practices offer explanations for life’s meaning, purpose, and what happens after death. People will turn to religion to alleviate existential anxiety and find solace in the idea of an afterlife.”

Believing in religion may provide a chance at literal immortality, but beyond that, it can provide a cultural worldview that brings meaning and purpose to life and can alleviate mortality salience.

Likewise, Tzall gives the example of belonging to a nation that “provides a sense of identity and belonging, which can help individuals feel connected to something enduring. People may strive to achieve success, create meaningful relationships, or contribute to society in ways that leave a lasting impact.” There are all sorts of ways that people can find meaning and achieve symbolic immortality, including being part of a nation that will go on after their death.

In addition to feeling like a part of the nation, people will want to put their own stamp on the nation whether through success in industry, meaningful relationships that have a lasting impact, or other options like volunteering, having a family, or writing a book.

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Implications of Terror Management Theory across Different Fields

The theory can similarly be used in marketing and advertising, but the emphasis is different. “TMT can inform advertising strategies that tap into consumers’ desires for symbolic immortality,” Tzall says. In this conception, marketers and advertisers advertise goods or services in a way that communicates their desire for symbolic immortality can be met.

Similarly, political science “can help explain the polarization of political ideologies,” explains Tzall, “and the ways in which leaders appeal to their followers’ existential concerns to gain support.” Throughculturalworldviews that appreciate others like them but reject others that are not like them, leaders can exploit their followers and even lead them to rise up against others that do not agree with them, in wars, conflicts, or events like January 6th, where a small group of like-minded citizens stormed Congress.

Significance of Terror Management Theory in Understanding Human Behavior and Beliefs

Though some studies about TMT have failed to be replicated, Terror Management Theory has continued to resonate with many people. And researchers still use it to describe various events.

For example, a group of researchers used TMT to detail the COVID-19 pandemic during its height, explaining that regardless of how deadly the virus is, the risk of dying was highly salient.As a result, in response to the pandemic, people responded to the constant fear of death in both proximal and distal ways.

In proximal ways: drinking and eating in excess to arguing that the virus isn’t nearly as lethal as health experts claim. And in distal ways: affirming an individual’s cultural worldview to maximizing one’s self-esteem, in line with the TMT literature. As threats that remind us of our own deaths continue and expand, TMT will continue to be a leading source of understanding human behavior and beliefs.

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8 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Solomon S.Terror management theory. In:Psychology. Oxford University Press; 2011. doi:10.1093/obo/9780199828340-0058Thompson JK, Ata R, Roehrig M, Chait S.Tanning. In:Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance. Elsevier; 2012:775-782. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-384925-0.00122-XPyszczynski T, Solomon S, Greenberg J.Thirty years of terror management theory. In:Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. Vol 52. Elsevier; 2015:1-70. doi:10.1016/bs.aesp.2015.03.001Tomer A.Terror management theory. Encyclopedia of Death and Dying.Greenberg J, Solomon S, Pyszczynski T, et al.Why do people need self-esteem? Converging evidence that self-esteem serves an anxiety-buffering function.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1992;63(6):913-922. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.63.6.913Harmon-Jones E, Simon L, Greenberg J, Pyszczynski T, Solomon S, McGregor H.Terror management theory and self-esteem: Evidence that increased self-esteem reduced mortality salience effects.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1997;72(1):24-36. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.72.1.24Schimel J, Hayes J, Williams T, Jahrig J.Is death really the worm at the core? Converging evidence that worldview threat increases death-thought accessibility.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2007;92(5):789-803. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.92.5.789Pyszczynski T, Lockett M, Greenberg J, Solomon S.Terror management theory and the Covid-19 pandemic.Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 2021;61(2):173-189. doi:10.1177/0022167820959488

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Solomon S.Terror management theory. In:Psychology. Oxford University Press; 2011. doi:10.1093/obo/9780199828340-0058Thompson JK, Ata R, Roehrig M, Chait S.Tanning. In:Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance. Elsevier; 2012:775-782. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-384925-0.00122-XPyszczynski T, Solomon S, Greenberg J.Thirty years of terror management theory. In:Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. Vol 52. Elsevier; 2015:1-70. doi:10.1016/bs.aesp.2015.03.001Tomer A.Terror management theory. Encyclopedia of Death and Dying.Greenberg J, Solomon S, Pyszczynski T, et al.Why do people need self-esteem? Converging evidence that self-esteem serves an anxiety-buffering function.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1992;63(6):913-922. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.63.6.913Harmon-Jones E, Simon L, Greenberg J, Pyszczynski T, Solomon S, McGregor H.Terror management theory and self-esteem: Evidence that increased self-esteem reduced mortality salience effects.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1997;72(1):24-36. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.72.1.24Schimel J, Hayes J, Williams T, Jahrig J.Is death really the worm at the core? Converging evidence that worldview threat increases death-thought accessibility.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2007;92(5):789-803. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.92.5.789Pyszczynski T, Lockett M, Greenberg J, Solomon S.Terror management theory and the Covid-19 pandemic.Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 2021;61(2):173-189. doi:10.1177/0022167820959488

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Solomon S.Terror management theory. In:Psychology. Oxford University Press; 2011. doi:10.1093/obo/9780199828340-0058Thompson JK, Ata R, Roehrig M, Chait S.Tanning. In:Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance. Elsevier; 2012:775-782. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-384925-0.00122-XPyszczynski T, Solomon S, Greenberg J.Thirty years of terror management theory. In:Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. Vol 52. Elsevier; 2015:1-70. doi:10.1016/bs.aesp.2015.03.001Tomer A.Terror management theory. Encyclopedia of Death and Dying.Greenberg J, Solomon S, Pyszczynski T, et al.Why do people need self-esteem? Converging evidence that self-esteem serves an anxiety-buffering function.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1992;63(6):913-922. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.63.6.913Harmon-Jones E, Simon L, Greenberg J, Pyszczynski T, Solomon S, McGregor H.Terror management theory and self-esteem: Evidence that increased self-esteem reduced mortality salience effects.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1997;72(1):24-36. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.72.1.24Schimel J, Hayes J, Williams T, Jahrig J.Is death really the worm at the core? Converging evidence that worldview threat increases death-thought accessibility.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2007;92(5):789-803. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.92.5.789Pyszczynski T, Lockett M, Greenberg J, Solomon S.Terror management theory and the Covid-19 pandemic.Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 2021;61(2):173-189. doi:10.1177/0022167820959488

Thompson JK, Ata R, Roehrig M, Chait S.Tanning. In:Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance. Elsevier; 2012:775-782. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-384925-0.00122-X

Pyszczynski T, Solomon S, Greenberg J.Thirty years of terror management theory. In:Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. Vol 52. Elsevier; 2015:1-70. doi:10.1016/bs.aesp.2015.03.001

Tomer A.Terror management theory. Encyclopedia of Death and Dying.

Greenberg J, Solomon S, Pyszczynski T, et al.Why do people need self-esteem? Converging evidence that self-esteem serves an anxiety-buffering function.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1992;63(6):913-922. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.63.6.913

Harmon-Jones E, Simon L, Greenberg J, Pyszczynski T, Solomon S, McGregor H.Terror management theory and self-esteem: Evidence that increased self-esteem reduced mortality salience effects.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1997;72(1):24-36. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.72.1.24

Schimel J, Hayes J, Williams T, Jahrig J.Is death really the worm at the core? Converging evidence that worldview threat increases death-thought accessibility.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2007;92(5):789-803. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.92.5.789

Pyszczynski T, Lockett M, Greenberg J, Solomon S.Terror management theory and the Covid-19 pandemic.Journal of Humanistic Psychology. 2021;61(2):173-189. doi:10.1177/0022167820959488

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