• Entry
  • Reader's guide
  • Entries A-Z
  • Subject index
icon backReturn to Entries

Terror Management Theory

  • In: Encyclopedia of Identity
  • Edited by: Ronald L. Jackson II & Michael A. Hogg
  • Subject:Self & Identity, Identity, Self & Identity

Terror management theory (TMT) offers a social psychological and empirical framework for examining such questions as “What is the psychological function of culture?” and “Why do people need self-esteem?” The theory suggests that existential concerns associated with the awareness of mortality underlie a pervasive need for meaning imparted by the culture and value derived from living up to cultural standards. In short, cultural worldviews impart a context for deciding what is meaningful and setting the ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles