Mortality Salience and Its Effects on Peace Processes

Abstract

Abstract. The present paper offers a review of the relationship between existential individual threats and peace-hampering as well as peace-facilitating factors. An overwhelming bulk of literature on terror management theory (TMT) demonstrates negative effects of mortality salience such as derogation of outgroup members, prejudice, stereotyping, aggression, and racism. These negative reactions may be detrimental in peace-processes and critical in explaining intergroup conflicts, severe hostilities, and war. Complementary empirical insights derived from TMT, however, demonstrate positive effects of mortality salience (MS) that lead to prosocial reactions. The findings that are reviewed throughout this paper aim at reconciling the seemingly contradictory findings of antisocial and prosocial reactions to reminders of death. In concluding, a variety of conceivable interventions are discussed that may override genuinely detrimental consequences of MS and help to foster peace processes.