Authors : Mahmood Amirbeigi, Sara Akbarzadeh, Jamil Mansouri and Hamidreza Gharibi
Abstract: Terror management theory believes that death threat is the most fundamental and important source foradaptive and maladaptive psychological structure like high and low self-esteem. In this study, combination of two methods of mortality salience was used on self-esteem. To have more accessibility to death thoughts, it is advised to use a 3-5 min time interval. The main purpose of the present study is to investigate effect of combinational mortality salience interventions on self-esteem. Moreover,as a secondary goal, adding or eliminating time interval was evaluated after interventions in self-esteem level. In order to test the two hypotheses, a 45-member sample including female students of Tehran University was placed in 3 groups randomly. Obtained results indicated that there is no significant difference between control group and experimental group without time interval (p = 0.001, H(2) = 24.57) although, mean value of the two groups is in significant difference from mean value of experimental group with time interval (p>0.05). In general, obtained results can be explained in this manner that creating a time interval can be along with reduction of proximity defenses (distraction, denial, etc.) and increase in accessibility of unconscious thoughts of death that can result in unconscious defenses in level of self-esteem.
Mahmood Amirbeigi, Sara Akbarzadeh, Jamil Mansouri and Hamidreza Gharibi, 2016. Effect of Combinational Mortality Salience Interventions on Self-Esteem Regarding to Time Interval Considerations. The Social Sciences, 11: 3538-3542.