The Rock of Anxiety and the Hard-place of Intolerance: Ideological Rigidity and Political Conservatism in Relation to Death Anxiety and Reactions to those with Different Worldviews
Emily Ineson, Dasia Rhodes, Sarah Beth Parker, Alondra Rodriguez, Jeremiah Rosenbrook, and Kristin Thomas
The present study tested the assumptions of Terror Management Theory (TMT; Pyszczynski et al., 2015) and conservatism as motivated social cognition (Jost et al., 2003) regarding how belief systems relate to existential anxiety. Conservatism as motivated social cognition posits that politically conservative ideologies are uniquely capable of minimizing fears about death. In contrast, TMT asserts that ideological rigidity is associated with less fear of death but that it promotes aggression and intolerance against those with different beliefs. The relation of ideological rigidity and political conservatism to death anxiety and intolerance of those who have differing worldviews was explored in a sample of university students (n = 134) and a sample from the Prolific crowdsourcing platform (n = 199). Respondents completed measures of political orientation, dogmatism, personal need for structure, belief in certain knowledge, intolerance, dogmatic aggression, and death anxiety. The results from both samples supported the hypothesis that ideological rigidity, as indicated by dogmatism and personal need for structure, was associated with more negative reactions to people with different beliefs. The results regarding death anxiety were more complicated. In the student sample, personal need for structure was the best predictor of death anxiety, with higher scores on personal need for structure being associated with more death anxiety. In the crowdsourcing sample, social conservatism was the best predictor of death anxiety, with more conservatism being associated with less death anxiety. The results are discussed in relation to TMT and the perspective that conservatism is motivated social cognition.
Emily Ineson is a senior psychology major from London, England. While at Lander University, she has been a member of the Psi Chi Honor Society, a supplemental instructor, tutor for several psychology courses, and an athlete on the women’s tennis team. She has been part of Dr. Bassett’s Terror Management Theory Lab for three semesters, a part of Dr. Southard-Dobbs’ Stress and Cognition Lab for two semesters, and has worked on an independent research project with Dr. Gemberling. Emily is planning to begin her Ph.D. in Psychological Science in August 2023 and is aspiring for a career in social psychology research.
Sarah Beth Parker is a senior at Lander University. She has spent two semesters assisting in Dr. Jonathan Bassett’s research, has been a member of Phi Mu fraternity, and is a member of Lander University’s Chapter of Psi Chi. Sarah Beth has enjoyed her time at Lander and looks forward to attending graduate school.
Rhodes is a junior psychology major, with a minor in human services, from Blythewood, SC. She is a member of Lander’s Psi Chi Honor Society, The National Society of Leadership and Success, and she is a part of Lander’s club volleyball team. Dasia is currently on the leadership board of Lander’s Psychology Club, serving as treasurer.
Alondra Rodriguez is a senior psychology major, from Newberry, SC, with a double minor in human services and child and family studies. Her experiences include tutoring in psychology subjects such as quantitative research skills, working as a program aid developer in the Boys and Girls Program, and being a member of the Psi Chi National Honors Society. After Lander, Alondra plans to attend graduate school.
Jeremiah Rosenbrook is a senior psychology major from Athens, Tennessee. He has a double minor in philosophy and history. He has been a member of the men’s rugby team during his 4 years at Lander. This is his third semester with Dr. Bassett’s research team. He plans to pursue a doctorate in social psychology.
Kristin Thomas is a junior psychology and criminology double major from Piedmont, South Carolina. She is a member of Lander’s Psi Chi Honor Society. She currently tutors in many psychology and criminology classes at Lander. After she graduates, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in psychology.