Self‐sacrifice as self‐defence: Mortality salience increases efforts to affirm a symbolic immortal self at the expense of the physical self

Abstract

The increasing occurrence of suicide bombing attacks highlights a question that has received little direct empirical attention in social psychology. Why are people willing to sacrifice their lives to advance an ideological agenda? The current research suggests that willingness to self-sacrifice reflects efforts to manage death awareness by investing in a symbolic identity that provides some form of immortality. If willingness to self-sacrifice is a response to death awareness then increasing the salience of death thoughts should lead to an increase in willingness to self-sacrifice for a deathtranscending symbolic identity (e.g. one's nation). Further, if self-sacrifice after mortality salience (MS) is a striving for symbolic immortality then having participants imagine an alternative way to transcend death should moderate this effect. Support for these hypotheses was found as MS increased willingness of British participants to self-sacrifice for England, but only when an alternative route to symbolic immortality was not provided. Implications are briefly discussed.

The role of mortality awareness in hero identification

“…Routledge and Arndt (2008) reminded British participants of death (vs. dental pain), before asking them to imagine working either for an organization that would perpetuate after their death, or, cease to exist once they had passed away. Participants then indicated willingness to physically self-sacrifice for England.…”

How terrorism news reports increase prejudice against outgroups: A terror management account

“…Recent studies support a TMT account of the origins of political ideology and violence by showing that mortality salience increased violent resistance against political interventions (Hirschberger & Ein-Dor, 2006), support for violent military interventions (Pysczcynksi et al, 2006) and willingness to sacrifice ones life for political or religious ideology (Pysczcynksi et al, 2006;Routledge & Arndt, 2007). Because the main goal of terrorist acts is the 'intentional generation of massive fear' (Cooper, 2001, p. 883), terrorism news may also increase worldview defense -such as prejudice against outgroups, or increased support for one's country and government.…”

Decision Processes of a Suicide Bomber - Integrating Economics and Psychology

“…Among these explanations, psychopathy and hate rank high in the public opinion. Yet, research suggests that most terrorists are not driven by either of these causes (Silke 1998, Weatherston/Moran 2003, but are rather attracted by the feeling of purpose and belongingness to some peer group as well as common socio-political goals and the desire for immortality (see Maikovich 2005, Routledge/Arndt 2008. In this paper we show that, although often stigmatized as irrational, suicide attacks can be compatible with the actions of a rational, welfare maximizing agent.…”

“…This way, the agent's identification with the organization and its goals increases and the organization's utility gains more and more weight for his own welfare 1 (see also Pittel/Rübbelke 2006). Beyond that, the agent might expect that the attack will turn him into a martyr who is reverently commemorated by his peer group and family, thus awarding him either religious or symbolic immortality (Routledge/Arndt 2008). Committing to an attack might even raise his social status before the attack and induce anticipatory feelings of pride and accomplishment.…”