2015/04/27 by Corey L. Cook, Florette Cohen, Sheldon Solomon · 1 citation
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion #Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health #Social and Intergroup Psychology #Existentialism #Atheism #Distrust #Terror management theory #Afterlife #Psychology #Death anxiety #Social psychology #Prejudice (legal term) #Social distance #Epistemology #Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) #Philosophy
paper · doi:10.1177/1948550615584200
openalex publication_date 2015/04/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/10
Terror management theory posits that the uniquely human awareness of death gives rise to potentially paralyzing terror that is assuaged by embracing cultural worldviews that provide a sense that one is a valuable participant in a meaningful universe. We propose that pervasive and pronounced anti-atheist prejudices stem, in part, from the existential threat posed by conflicting worldview beliefs. Two studies were conducted to establish that existential concerns contribute to anti-atheist sentiments. Experiment 1 found that a subtle reminder of death increased disparagement, social distancing, and distrust of atheists. Experiment 2 found that asking people to think about atheism increased the accessibility of implicit death thoughts. These studies provide the first empirical link between existential concerns and anti-atheist prejudices.