Hey, Big Spender The Effects of Mortality Salience on the Consumer Behaviors of a College-Age Sample

Laura Coletti

Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Callahan, Charlene

Keywords

Mortality Salience, Terror Management Theory, Consumption

Area of Concentration

Psychology

Abstract

Terror management theory suggests that people will behave in exaggerated ways that are not typical of their normal day-to-day behavior following mortality salience, reminders of one's own death. These behaviors are linked to the support of one's cultural worldviews and the self-esteem derived from adhering to the values of these worldviews. To the extent that the acquisition of wealth and objects is important to one's cultural worldview, it was expected that those under a mortality salience condition would spend a hypothetical sum of money more extravagantly than those in a comparison group. Forty-eight college students, half of whom were in a morality salience condition, and half of whom were in a comparison group, were asked to choose items from a list to indicate how they would spend a hypothetical sum of $1000. The study did not yield significant findings, as the participants in both conditions did not differ in the amount of money spent on (a) extravagant items, (b) practical items, (c) savings, and (d) donation. Study modifications and future directions are discussed.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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