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No atheists in foxholes: Arguments for (but not against) afterlife belief buffers mortality salience effects for atheists

Heflick, Nathan A, Goldenberg, Jamie L (2012) No atheists in foxholes: Arguments for (but not against) afterlife belief buffers mortality salience effects for atheists. British Journal of Social Psychology, 51 (2). pp. 385-392. ISSN 0144-6665. (doi:10.1111/j.2044-8309.2011.02058.x) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:40446)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8309.2011.02058.x

Abstract

Terror management theory (TMT) posits that people cope with mortality concerns via symbolic immortality (e.g., secular cultural beliefs that outlast death) and/or literal immortality (afterlife belief). However, what happens when these two forms of immortality conflict, as in atheism? Would atheists’ mortality concerns be better assuaged by affirming an afterlife, or by affirming their literal immortality-denying worldview? Drawing on an untested TMT hypothesis, we predicted that atheists would be buffered from mortality concerns if their atheistic worldview – no life after death – was challenged, but not if it was supported. Results confirmed the hypothesis and were also found for theists and agnostics. These findings support TMT's claim that literal immortality is of paramount importance in ameliorating death concerns.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/j.2044-8309.2011.02058.x
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Stewart Brownrigg
Date Deposited: 07 Mar 2014 00:05 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:15 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/40446 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Heflick, Nathan A.

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