TERROR MANAGEMENT THEORY

Terror management theory – suggests that human mortality causes existential dread and terror, and that much of human behavior exists as a buffer against this dread (e.g., self-esteem and worldviews).
Terror Management Theory- My first tour of Iraq in March 2003 (the invasion) I found it easy to deal with afterwards. I think because no one was killed in my first tour. We led the 1st Marine Division from Kuwait to Baghdad, Iraq. In 2004, I returned to a more dangerous reinforced area of Iraq. We camped a couple miles outside of Fallujah, Iraq west of Baghdad. We were struck by numerous amounts of improvised explosive devices (IED) on the road where we patrolled our area. We were sometimes ambushed by the enemy, but rarely saw who we were fighting. We eventually invaded Fallujah seeing the enemy face to face. At this point in the tour I felt afraid after being hit by an IED before we invaded. I felt fear for my life all day every day. Even though, I fought as hard as I could I felt vulnerable. For the first time in my life, I felt afraid of dying. This feeling lasted for 8 weeks, it wears you down. Living in this fear for that long changes an individual for the rest of their lives. After we won the battle of Fallujah, I continued my fear of death, unwittingly. My behavior changed in everything I did. I was no longer a risk taker. I would not get on the best roller coaster for the thrill of challenging the fear or loving the adrenaline. I had enough adrenaline running through my body after the battle. I felt brittle and broken from feeling true fear of death. I felt this way because I was not born in a culture that saw brutality in its order and meaning of reality. Solomon, Greenberg, and Pyszczynski, (2008):
“The theory posits that all human motives are ultimately derived from a biologically based instinct for self-preservation. Relative equanimity in the face of these existential realities is possible through the creation and maintenance of culture, which serves to minimize the terror by providing a shared symbolic context that imbues the universe with order, meaning, stability, and permanence. The theory provides a theoretical link between superficially unrelated substantive areas and focuses on one particular motive that makes it distinctly human and, unfortunately, distinctly destructive. Theories serve a variety of equally important functions, all of which are oriented towards improving the ability to think about and understand the subject matter of discipline.” (Abstract)
In situations like the battle of Fallujah, you find yourself doing things that you normally would not do, for example the marines in my truck began to ingest red bulls in an amount that is devastating to the body. We smoked cigarettes heavily and chewed tobacco all day every day. If the government gave access to alcohol and opiates we would have done them without hesitation. We began to heat up our morning coffee with C4 explosives because it was quicker, and it did not scare us. You tend to look at life as a dare to cross the line of stupid and see if you come back. Once you leave that situation and come home, your behavior is limited to doing things that make you feel safe at all times. Terror-management theory is true but has different levels for all people.

SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY

Social identity theory – was developed by Henri Tajfel and examines how categorizing people (including oneself) into ingroups or outgroups affects perceptions, attitudes, and behavior.
Social Identity Theory- There are two identities a person can have in life, one is as an individual and the other is inside a group member. I am in a group of two families. One family is my original family that lives in Oklahoma, and the other family is Arizona. There is still a strong love from my family in Oklahoma even though I do not visit very often, once every 2-3 years or if some relative passes away. I love my family in Oklahoma, but if I stayed in that circle I would not have moved farther in life as a life-time learner. I would have felt and behaved the same way they have for decades. As a family member in the state Oklahoma, I wanted my people to see them as an accomplished people. I wondered if I could have accomplished the things I have so far in Arizona and I do not see that happening. I believe that I could still accomplish things within my group, but I had to leave. The BBC Prison Study states in (2008):
“If we believe that we can still progress in society despite our group membership (i.e., group boundaries are permeable) we will try to distance ourselves from the group and be seen as an individual. If there is no chance of advancement (because group boundaries are impermeable), we will begin to identify with the group and act collectively with fellow group members to improve our situation.” (para. 3)
My family in Oklahoma is my individual self with equal distributions coming from my wife. I chose to leave Oklahoma for the military to better myself, and I was able to achieve this after I left Oklahoma for a second time. I was able to face my problems as an individual and climb upwards out of the mental hole I dug for myself. In this group/family I see flaws in the group/family from Oklahoma. The beliefs within the culture in Oklahoma are adopted by almost everyone that live there. I like to think I live my life with an open mind and in Oklahoma they are more conservative. I am now enhancing my self-image because I am identifying the negatives of my family in Oklahoma. I love them, but I do not agree with some of their beliefs. “The central hypothesis of social identity theory is that group members of an in-group will seek to find negative aspects of an out-group, thus enhancing their self-image.” (McLeod)

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

Social Learning Theory- posits that people learn from one another, via observation, imitation, and modeling. Learning to play football as a young child took time. I learned through slow motion replay from Monday Night Football to keep my eyes on the ball when receiving a pass from the quarterback. The observation from my living room is very much different than the intensity of an actual game. I only played at the high school level in Oklahoma. It is an intense sport, but in certain states in this country football is held in high regards and in the smaller towns everyone attends these games on Friday night. However, the concentration to complete a catch requires the receiver to push out all the noise from the sounds of the bands, fans, and cheering are so loud. The imitation and modeling of the professionals on television helped the receiver remain in the moment and produce a positive play. There are two halves that cause the modeling effect to work, not all people can display this type of athleticism they observe, but those that can learned through observation, imitation, modeling, and practice. The other half of modeling is the attention to the model. Modeling cannot occur if that person does not remember what the model was doing.

SCAPEGOAT THEORY

Scapegoat Theory- is a social psychological term that relates to prejudice. According to this theory, people may be prejudice toward a group in order to vent their anger. In essence, they use the group they dislike as their target for all of their anger…as a vent. (AlleyDog.com) The most fitting example of the scapegoat theory is how Adolf Hitler used the Jews as scapegoats for the Germans economical fall after World War I. Even though thousands of Jews saw themselves as Germans and even fought for the German army in World War I. For centuries, there was anti-Semitism against Jews in Germany. “Anti-Semitism had existed for centuries. This print shows an attack on Jews in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in 1614. In those days Jews had to wear a yellow ring on their clothes.” (Annefrankguide.net)

SYSTEM JUSTIFICATION THEORY

System Justification Theory- “When individuals become defensive about themselves, their groups to protect their status quo, the theory of system justification is fulfilled. They tend to hold favorable attitudes and in turn damage sentiments of people who don't matter to them.” Biases are always going to be apart of this world. Unfortunately, we all have some bias to someone else, whether it be race, sex, intelligence, and what tax bracket someone may be in. I have just spoke to a relative that I appreciate and admire, but they do not have empathy for anyone and I find this to be alarming. They have just lost their spouse and I think they may be lost in a world that has continued to rotate at the same pace without slowing down for them. In this modern country we live in and the government we have in office, our country has become divided closely to the times of the United States Civil War. Racism still plays a huge role in this country and people you know, friends and family, have chosen a side to represent their beliefs. For instance, my relative wants to know why African-Americans can call each other a specific name that they cannot say, even though they said they would never say that to someone. The question is not-applicable because remember they have no empathy. African-Americans want to use this as a positive term compare to what it was used for when they were slaves and called by whites repeatedly with such hatred and stupidity. Does my relative really want to know why they can’t say the word or does it bother them that they today’s society has taken a privilege from them that they have always had compare to a minority in this country?

Social Psychology

REAL LIFE

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