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Any psychologists or psychology buffs? What's your take on Terror Management Theory?

I just started reading Ernest Beck's Denial of Death and was wondering what others felt about his theories, predominately the Terror Management Theory.

How do you feel about Existential Psychology in general?

by matt1976
asked 4 months ago

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As a research student, I'm always a bit pained by psychological theories like TMT, where the hypotheses don't seem falsifiable. I believe one of the experiments conducted indicated that individuals tended to exhibit some (rather poorly defined) defense mechanisms after being exposed to the prospect of death. While it would certainly be impossible (and probably unethical) to control for the many factors involved in this response, I'm am rather unconvinced that the represented data is indicative of the population.

Regardless of the scientific efficacy of the theory, I feel it paints in broad strokes where a fine touch is required, particularly when applied to depression. What may be described as a persistent fear of death can also be expressed as anxiety toward uncertainty and/or conflicting values. Of course, TMT finds a way to link it all back to death. Such is the issue of studying the subconscious, though; everyone can say that their thing is the root cause of everything.

liberati
4 months ago

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I've always felt that psychological theories tell us more about the minds of their authors than those of the general population.

moondrake
4 months ago

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As a layperson, I found it interesting that every human construct was reaction to help avoid coming to terms with one's mortality.

Though I'm not sure it has much merit in psychotherapy it is a very interesting concept none the less.

matt1976
4 months ago

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