X-Message-Number: 4811
From:  (David Stodolsky)
Subject: Attitude change and terror management
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 95 15:29:53 +0200 (CET DST)

The recent Moravec discussion has brought up a recurring theme.
Why don't all rational and intelligent people support cryonics?
Most of the discussion has centered around the logic of cryonics.
However, the solution may lie elsewhere, in the psychodynamics of
terror management. That is, if peoples' attitudes are to change, there
must be an emotive element involved. 

Greenberg, et al. (1995, p.  431) state:
"This research suggests that the immediate conscious concern following
mortality salience is to suppress further death-related thoughts.
Once such thoughts have been effectively removed from current focal
attention, they become more accessible and worldview defence is intensified.
These findings thus provide further evidence consistent with the
idea that terror management processes occur outside of conscious awareness."


This suggests that no amount of logical argument can change 
attitudes toward death. Once mortality becomes salient, death related
thoughts are suppressed. When the unpleasant emotions associated with
thoughts of one's own vulnerability have passed, one's adherence
to the dominant worldview and one's place within it can be strengthened
by unconscious processes.

It seems necessary to bring emotions in direct contact with
the unpleasant thoughts. That is, persons must face the terror of
their own death, and accept their mortality, while having these negative
emotions. The research suggests the level of fear can be reduced
by reinforcing the person's worldview and by increasing their self-esteem,
that is, their living up to the standards of value that are part of
that worldview. 

Unfortunately, many persons' worldview is based upon a religious system 
which posits survival of an immortal soul. Strengthening his worldview
could well contradict a change toward acceptance of cryonics. This
is logical, but it may not in fact be the case. Religious beliefs
of this type have not obstructed participation in cryonic suspension
for some persons.

Alternatively, there has been a lack of success in attracting 'humanists'
to cryonics. This could be because many of these people have accepted
their place in the world and their mortality. With such persons, it
might be necessary to weaken their worldview and self-esteem, before
adequate fear could be generated to induced an attitude change. 


Terror management theory may be able to explain why charismatic leaders
of groups such as Eternal Flame can attract followers to totally ridiculous
belief systems. They bring fear of death into contact with a new worldview
that manages that fear. 

Terror management theory has only had about ten years of development.
It could be a foundation for a series of well controlled experiments 
to test some of the above ideas. Such experiments would be complicated,
both from an experimental and ethical standpoint. Therefore, only
qualified persons should be entrusted with them. The cryonics movement
should support further work in this area. Its applicability to promoting
cryonics is clear.

[see earlier post for complete reference]

dss


David S. Stodolsky      Euromath Center     University of Copenhagen
   Tel.: +45 38 33 03 30   Fax: +45 38 33 88 80 (C)


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