Mortality salience increases adherence to salient norms and values.
Four studies indicate that mortality salience increases adherence to social norms and values, but only when cultural norms and values are salient. In Study 1, mortality salience coupled with a reminder about cultural values of egalitarianism reduced prejudice toward Blacks among non-Black participants. In Studies 2 through 4, a mortality salience induction (e.g., walking through a cemetery) increased self-reported and actual helping behavior only when the cultural value of helping was salient. These results suggest that people may adhere to norms and values so as to manage awareness of death.
Department of Social Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands. mgailliot@fmg.uva.nl
Matthew T
MT
Gailliot
Tyler F
TF
Stillman
Brandon J
BJ
Schmeichel
Jon K
JK
Maner
E Ashby
EA
Plant
D000328:Adult; D001293:Attitude to Death; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011287:Prejudice; D012919:Social Behavior; D012925:Social Conformity; D012933:Social Identification; D012945:Social Values