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Mortality salience in an offline and online setting
Peter K H Chew1, Brian L M Yap1
1School of Social and Health Sciences, James Cook University, Singapore, Singapore.
Death Studies
|February 23, 2021
Summary
Mortality salience did not significantly impact worldview defense in Singaporean participants, whether online or offline. Cultural factors and the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced these findings.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Cross-Cultural Psychology
Background:
- Mortality salience is a key concept in terror management theory, often linked to worldview defense.
- Previous research primarily conducted in Western contexts.
- Limited understanding of these effects in diverse cultural settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of mortality salience on worldview defense.
- To compare effects in both offline and online research settings.
- To explore potential cultural moderators in an Asian context.
Main Methods:
- 146 Singaporean participants (66 offline, 80 online) were recruited.
- Random assignment to mortality salience or control conditions.
- Worldview Defense Assessment administered after a delay.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant effects of mortality salience on worldview defense were observed.
- Findings were consistent across both offline and online conditions.
- No significant differences in mortality salience effects were found between settings.
Conclusions:
- Mortality salience may not universally trigger worldview defense, particularly in specific cultural contexts like Singapore.
- Cultural factors, such as a culture of tolerance, might buffer these effects.
- The COVID-19 pandemic context could have influenced participant responses, suggesting future research avenues.
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