Mortality management and climate action - A review and reference for using Terror Management Theory methods in interdisciplinary environmental research
A methodological framework for interdisciplinary researchers to incorporate TMT into their research designs and to help practitioners anticipate how their mortality-laden messaging could trigger unintentional social-psychological responses that degrade climate communication strategies.
reference for using Terror Management Theory methods in interdisciplinary environmental research
Abstract
Global climate change awareness is increasing, but efforts to convey informa- tion can trigger undesirable behaviors, including denial, skepticism, and increased resource consumption. It is therefore essential to more fully investi- gate social–psychological responses to climate information and messaging if we are to prompt, support, and sustain pro-environmental behaviors. Yet con- sideration of these responses is typically absent from interdisciplinary environ- mental study designs. Of specific relevance is research using social psychology’s Terror Management Theory (TMT) showing that people’s efforts to repress mortality salience (MS) or awareness significantly influence their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Research on MS’s influence on climate change beliefs is progressing but, to date, a systematic scoping review of the literature has been unavailable. Here, we provide such a review. We propose that TMT insights and methods should be better integrated into research designs to guide climate communications and to generate the comprehensive cultural and behavioral changes needed to address societies’ climate problems. We intro- duce a methodological framework for interdisciplinary researchers to incorpo- rate TMT into their research designs and to help practitioners anticipate how their mortality-laden messaging could trigger unintentional social-psychologi- cal responses that degrade climate communication strategies.