Terror Management Theory, Religious Orientation, and Dissociation: Addressing Allport's Paradox of Religion and Racism

Abstract

Abstract This dissertation addresses the paradoxical relationship between religion and racism. Specifically, this study combines elements of terror management theory (TMT) and the dissociation model to examine the potential impact of intrinsic, extrinsic, quest, indiscriminate, and low religiosity on questions of race and death anxiety. Past research provides conflicting evidence concerning the ability of intrinsic religiosity to reduce racial tendencies. The negative correlation between intrinsic religiosity and prejudice has been questioned in light of social desirability concerns. The dissociation model suggests social desirability does not necessarily indicate lack of genuine concern for prejudice reduction. Measuring compunction (guilt/shame) in light of a participant’s self-reported violation of non-prejudiced beliefs (should , would, and discrepancy scores) provides a means to examine the degree to which non-prejudiced values are actually held. Likewise, self-reported discrepancies represent violations of a person’s cultural worldview and, according to TMT, result in increased death anxiety. Using a series of correlations, ANOVA’s and ANCOVA’s this dissertation found support for central elements of TMT. Increased discrepancy scores were found to be positively correlated with death anxiety. Discrepancy scores were also found to be negatively correlated with social desirability. Results also suggest intrinsic, extrinsic, and quest religiosity function similarly in relation to racism.