PSYC 473 Lecture Notes - Terror Management Theory, Social Cognition, General Idea
25 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
Big picture theory of social psyc; influential in last decade. Dissonance, literature revising original idea to theory of self-esteem, self- justificaiton. Desire to see ourselves well is a powerful motive, to see ourselves beyond this need plays a significant role in our thoughts/feelings/behaviors. Evolutionary basis of self-esteem, but for wanting to belong to group (wired to do this) Terror management theory: human being has cognitive abilities. We are self-aware: all animals die, only we know we are going to die. Death itself as a secondary category of existential. 2: we try to cope in various ways. Stable makes sense, part of it and care about things and do things distracts you from psychologically feelings associated with death anxiety. Sel-esteem doesn"t mean they are entirely based on death anxiety, not only thing a human cares about, nor death anxiety necessarily leads you to do this.
