Terror Management Theory

In Terror Management Theory: A Practical Review of Research and Application, Robert B. Arrowood and Cathy R. Cox discuss relevant research from an experimental, existential psychology tradition. Outlining the past thirty years of research within terror management, the authors discuss such topics as religion, close relations, politics and law, existential growth, and physical and mental health.
Although the inevitable outcome of all humanity is death, according to terror management theory, we adhere to cultural worldviews and establish close relations in order to boost our self-esteem. Through these defences, we deny our death and attain a degree of immortality, staving off existential fear by being part of an enduring cultural system that will outlive any individual member.

Robert M. Arrowood, M.S., is a doctoral candidate at Texas Christian University. He has published numerous papers and chapters discussing the function of religious belief and meaning in life and how these constructs protect against existential fears. He has recently guest edited a special Terror Management edition of Religion, Brain, and Behavior. Relevant publications of his work include Arrowood et al., (2017, Religion, Brain, and Behavior), Arrowood et al. (2017, Personality and Individual Differences), and Arrowood et al. (2018, Mental Health, Religion, and Culture).
Cathy R. Cox, Ph.D., is Associate Professor at Texas Christian University. She has published numerous papers examining how the awareness of death affects social attitudes and behaviors, along with how the pursuit of life meaning, provides protection against deeply-rooted insecurities. Relevant publications of her work include Cox et al. (2008, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology), Cox et al. (2009, Health Psychology), and Cox et al. (2007, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin).