What Makes People Hesitate to Get Vaccinated? Psychologists Break It Down
Wow!
The psychological theory that best explains these behaviors is "terror management theory". According to this theory, humans are unable to face the stark reality of death, and often engage in various forms of denial.
We see ourselves as grander than the animals, immune to many of their problems, and destined for immortality with our gods.
As one group of researchers put it, humans could not function with equanimity if they believed that they were not inherently more significant and enduring than apes, lizards, or lima beans.
Hundreds of studies in social psychology laboratories have shown that subtle reminders of death (known as "death primes") lead participants to vigorously defend their religious and cultural beliefs and their freedoms.
When reminded of death, participants even show aggression towards those with different political or religious ideologies. We cling to our "rightness" and "specialness", to help assuage our terror of death.
In the process, we may defy the warnings of modern medicine, convinced of our own superiority.
Researchers at the University of Chicago Divinity School reported half of their participants, all of whom indicated some religious affiliation, agreed with the statement "God will protect me from being infected".
To cope with our dread of death, we delude ourselves into thinking we are invincible: Death might happen to other people, but not to me.
This effect will be magnified even further if the social groups to which we belong also endorse similar views. Reminders of death lead people to fiercely defend the values and beliefs of their group.
We see ourselves as grander than the animals, immune to many of their problems, and destined for immortality with our gods.
As one group of researchers put it, humans could not function with equanimity if they believed that they were not inherently more significant and enduring than apes, lizards, or lima beans.
Hundreds of studies in social psychology laboratories have shown that subtle reminders of death (known as "death primes") lead participants to vigorously defend their religious and cultural beliefs and their freedoms.
When reminded of death, participants even show aggression towards those with different political or religious ideologies. We cling to our "rightness" and "specialness", to help assuage our terror of death.
In the process, we may defy the warnings of modern medicine, convinced of our own superiority.
Researchers at the University of Chicago Divinity School reported half of their participants, all of whom indicated some religious affiliation, agreed with the statement "God will protect me from being infected".
To cope with our dread of death, we delude ourselves into thinking we are invincible: Death might happen to other people, but not to me.
This effect will be magnified even further if the social groups to which we belong also endorse similar views. Reminders of death lead people to fiercely defend the values and beliefs of their group.
Wow!
