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

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30 Nov 2015

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



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

howtofunctionandthenfindtheneedtobelongandbeconnectedwithour

peers

∙Existentialapproachinsocialpsychology

oWeashumanshavecertainconcernsaboutourexistencethatinfluencesus

o100sofyearsago,therebecamealossoffaithinreligions

§peoplemovedtosciencefortheanswersbutthenpeoplestarted

underminingthataswell



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

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

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



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

oEx.Tryingtomakedecisionsinaworldwedon’tfullyunderstandcausingthe

decisiontothenseemarbitrary

oEx.Wakingupandlookinginthemirrorandfeelinglikewearenotlookingat

ourselves;canmakeusfeelanxiousorconfused

oTheideaisthesethoughtscometomindatcertainwhenwehavetomakeabig

decisionoroneafternoonwejuststarttofeelstrange–isnotonourminds24/7

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



3.Wetrytocopeinvariousways

∙Relativelydirectly(ex.Afterlife,beliefs,drugsetc)

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

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