1. James Svolos, Odalys Urena, and Tekhara Watson Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

2. Terror Management Theory  Awareness of ones’ mortality  9/11 Terrorist attack  Osama Bin Laden o 2004 presidential election. Landau, M., Solomon, S., Arndt, J. et al. (2008)

3. Terror Management Theory  Cultural Worldview Validation o Purpose of life/personal value o What happens after one dies  Enhance Self-esteem o Adhering to culture’s ideals o Serve a higher purpose

4. Mortality Salience Induction Mortality Salience  Please describe the thoughts and emotions that the thought of your own death arouses in you.  Write down as specifically as you can, what you think will happen to you as you physically die and once you are physically dead. Control  Please describe the thoughts and emotions that the thought of taking an exam arouses in you.  Write down as specifically as you can, what happen to you as you take the exam.

5. Mortality Salience  Charismatic Leadership Cohen, F., Solomon, S., et al. (2006)  Cling to the in-group Castano, E. (2008)  Devalue civil rights Norenzayan, A., Dar-Nimrod, I., Hanse, G., Proulx, T. (2009)

6. Pro-Social Behavior  Cooperative Behavior Prisoner’s Dilemma ○ Cooperate ○ Defect Tremayne, K., & Curtis, G.J. (2006)

7. Research Questions  Induction with Mortality Salience will result in more pro- social behaviors than induction with the Control.  Participants in the Morality Salience group will donate more money to charity (especially to the in-group) than the Control.

8. Procedure DEATHEXAM DEATH EXAM FILLER TASKS PRISONER’S DILEMMA PAYMENT

9. Charitable Donations  Boys and Girls Club of Erie  Hope for Africa Boys and Girls Club of Erie

10. Cooperative Behaviors t (62) = 3.04, p =.003 N = 64

11. Group Effect

12. Charitable Donations N = 28

13. Research Questions  Mortality Salience results in more cooperative behaviors  The Morality Salience group did not donate significantly more money to charity.

14. Discussion  Limitations Ecological validity ○ Lab Setting vs. Field study  Future research Experiment 2

15. Influence of Mortality Salience  Personal  Political  Global

16. HOW THIS EFFECTS YOU

17. Thank You  Questions?