Work

“We are people”: Ingroup humanization as an existential defense.

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: Prior research has shown the importance of humanness in shaping one's social identity, but no research has examined why this is the case. The present article reveals that humanizing the ingroup serves a terror management function. In 3 studies, Italian (Studies 1 and 2) and American (Study 3) participants humanized their own group more when their mortality was salient. In Study 3, humanizing the ingroup also functioned to reduce the accessibility of death thoughts. Together, these studies provide clear support for terror management theory as an explanatory framework for ingroup humanization.

Source: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

DOI: 10.1037/a0017658

Authors: Jeroen Vaes, Nathan A. Heflick, Jamie L. Goldenberg

Institutions: University of Padua, University of South Florida

Language: English

Topic: Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2123427166

FWCI: 6.527

Cites: 62

Cited by: 58

Related to: 10