The Recategorization Effect of a Shared Threat Mortality Salience Condition

Abstract

This paper explores the possibility that a shared threat mortality salience condition would result in a recategorization of ingroup/outgroup relationships. Students from Daytona Beach Community College and the University of Central Florida were exposed to one of three conditions in which they were asked to write essays. One condition, which served as a control, asked them to write about watching television; another asked them to write about their imagined death; the third condition was the shared threat condition in which they were asked to write about their imagined deaths in the 9/11/01 World Trade Center attacks. Participants were then asked to fill out questionnaires which included a shortened version of Adomo's Authoritarianism scale, a shortened version of the Marlowe-Crowne social desirability scale, a homonegativism scale, and the Modified Godfrey-Richard ISMS scale. Despite several previous studies which indicate a difference between the control condition and the mortality salience condition, few differences were detected among the three groups. This points to methodological flaws, which are discussed. Corrections for these flaws and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2004

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Chin, Matthew

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree Program

Psychology

Subjects

Arts and Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Sciences; Categorization (Psychology); Terrorism -- Psychological aspects

Format

Print

Identifier

DP0021814

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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