PSYC 215 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Hot Sauce, Terror Management TheoryPremium

PSYC215–Lecture#23:ExistentialApproach

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Whyarewesoinfluencedbyourculture?

∙Ex.Considerevaluationofothersandofself,andselfregulation,accordingtosocialstandards

andnorms

∙Powerfulandsometimesdestructiveinfluences

∙Whydowehavesuchahighlyelaboratedsymbolicworld?

oJustneedforstructure?Needtobelong?

oEx.Whydoweputinsomuchefforttodressacertainway?Wehavetofirstknow

underminingthataswell

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1.Humanbeinghascertaincognitiveabilities:

∙Selfawareness–createelaboratethoughtsaboutourselves

∙Imagination–imagineunlimitedpossibilities

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2.Theseraisesomebasicconcernsoranxieties

∙Absurdity

oEx.Senseyougetwhenthinkingabouthowhugeandfarthestarsinthenightare

andhowtinytheEarthis,andhowweareonlyatinyspecintheuniverse

butwehavetheabilitytothinkaboutthem

∙Death

oSinceweareselfawareandcanthinksymbolically,wecanimaginewherewe’ll

be20yearsfromnoworoccursatsomepointthatwewilldieoneday

oSomeorganismsfeelfearwhentheyarethreatened

§Ex.Lionattackingagazelle

oHumanshoweverarecapableofknowing(aware)whenwewilldie

oEx.Whenafriendisinthehospitalontheirdeathbed

oEx.Turbulencewhileflying

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