Product Description

Presenters: Dr. Sheldon Solomon and Dr. Lisa Firestone
1.5 CE Credits 
90 Minutes

This Webinar will introduce an overview of Terror Management Theory (TMT). TMT posits that the juxtaposition of an inclination toward self-preservation with the highly developed intellectual abilities that make humans aware of their vulnerabilities and inevitable death creates the potential for paralyzing terror. One of the most important functions of cultural worldviews is to manage the terror associated with death awareness. This is accomplished primarily through the cultural mechanism of self-esteem, which consists of the belief that one is a valuable contributor to a meaningful universe. The Webinar will cover the two basic components of the cultural anxiety-buffer, both of which are necessary for effective terror management: (a) faith in a meaningful conception of reality (cultural worldview) (b) belief that one is meeting the standards of value prescribed by that worldview (self-esteem).

Learning Objectives:
1. Summarize the basic assumptions in TMT and its two basic empirical assessments
2. Explain why people need self-esteem
3. Describe why people have such a difficult time peacefully coexisting with “different” others