Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Mortality salience, the realization of the inevitability of death, creates intense psychological terror within humans. Terror Management Theory posits that particular behavioral patterns, such as establishing and defending a worldview, reduce this terror (Greenberg et al., 1990). Behaviors due to mortality salience are strikingly similar to behaviors seen with violent video games. Violent video games may induce mortality salience in video game players, thus some of the outcomes of violent video games may be in part due to mortality salience. This paper will provide an explanation of mortality salience and Terror Management Theory, investigate behavioral patterns surrounding mortality salience and violent video games, propose a study exploring if violent video games can induce mortality salience, and discuss implications of mortality salience within violent video games.
Author: Beth Anderson
Institution: University of Puget Sound
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W233822470