Terror Management, Dogmatism, and Open-Mindedness

Abstract “Terror Management, Dogmatism, and Open-Mindedness” focuses on insights from terror management theory and associated research programs investigating factors that affect dogmatism and open-mindedness. According to the theory, faith in one’s core beliefs and values buffers existential anxieties and facilitates functioning securely in the world despite the awareness of one’s perpetual vulnerability and ultimate mortality. So, people often cling rigidly and dogmatically to their worldviews to bolster faith in them and thereby sustain their psychological security. A large body of research shows that when death thoughts are close to consciousness, people become more defensive of their worldview, more negative toward alternative worldviews, and more attracted to leaders who espouse simple and rigid worldviews. However, this research also reveals factors that reduce such defensive responses and some that may even contribute to open-mindedness and tolerance. The authors briefly conclude with practical implications of the findings to date and directions for further research.