Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

704

Carlos Torres

Date

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Psychology

Committee Chair

Robert Neimeyer

Committee Member

David Houston

Committee Member

Clifton Oyamot

Abstract

This study tested the competing predictions made by both Terror Management Theory and coalitional psychology regarding the effects of mortality-salience primes by inspecting the effects mortality-salience primes had on shifting how participants valued personal possessions. The hypotheses of this study were: If Terror Management Theory was correct, only after completing the mortality-salience prime would participants value personal possessions for their symbolically expressive connecting properties, and if coalitional psychology was correct then completing either the mortality-salience of theft-salience primes would result in participants valuing personal possessions for their instrumental status and group membership functions. Possession functions were measured using the Possession Functions Inventory (Gorgen, Vallerga, Smith, & Oyamot, 2009). An ANCOVA was used to test the hypothesis in order to account for age and sex covariates. There were no significant findings. Suggestions for future replications include obtaining a larger age range.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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