In the Wake of 9/11: The Psychology of Terror by Thomas A. Pyszczynski, Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenburg
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Textbook (Hardcover - New Edition)
- 227pp
- Sales Rank: 363,208
Textbook Information
- ISBN-13: 9781557989543
- Edition Description: New Edition
- Edition Number: 1
- Pub. Date: January 2003
- Publisher: American Psychological Association
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Product Details
- Pub. Date: January 2003
- Publisher: American Psychological Association
- Format: Textbook Hardcover, 227pp
- Sales Rank: 363,208
- ISBN-13: 9781557989543
- ISBN: 1557989540
- Edition Number: 1
- Edition Description: New Edition
Synopsis
Pyszczynski, Solomon, and Greenberg (all: psychology—at the U. of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Skidmore College, and the U. of Arizona, respectively) apply the conceptual framework they developed to explain a superficially disparate range of reactions to the attacks of September 11, 2001. Owing a debt to the work of cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker, their Terror Management Theory posits that "human beings' highly sophisticated capabilities render us aware of the utter fragility of life and the absolute inevitability of death." This leads to a susceptibility to terror that, combined with cultural worldviews that are themselves symbolic solutions to the problem of death, lends itself to the inability of humankind to tolerate those who do not "subscribe to their death-denying cultural constructions." Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:Nicholas Greco IV, MS, BCETS, CATSM (College of Lake County)
Description:This book successfully explores the wide range of emotions, reactions, and motives surrounding the 9/11 attacks through the psychological model of Terror Management Theory. The authors also provide rational suggestions for potential solutions to terrorism.
Purpose:The purpose is to present the authors' own Terror Management Theory as a means for understanding the motives and psychological forces that led to the horrific events of 9/11. Additionally, the purpose is to potentially reduce the incidence of future terrorist attacks and instill greater awareness and knowledge in the reader. In light of the past events and the continued hostility ever present in our world today, these undoubtedly worthy objectives are fully met by the authors.
Audience:The book is written primarily for academic and clinical psychologists; however, this book is straightforward and can be of great benefit to those outside the field of psychology. The three authors are extremely credible authorities in the field and have considerable expertise as evidenced by their ideas, opinions, and insights.
Features:The reader is given an introduction to Terror Management Theory supported by more than 15 years of empirical research. This theory then provides the knowledge necessary to understand the psychological impact of 9/11 and the acts of terrorism. Chapter highlights include Managing the Terror (essential reading for psychologists) , The Roots of Islamic Terrorism, and In the Wake of 9/11: Rising Above the Terror. These specific chapters along with the rest of thebook take an honest look into terrorism and the destructive aftermath to present the reader with a timely collection of ideas and reflection on one's own life.
Assessment:This pioneering book is quite possibly the finest and most significant addition to the field this year. Exceptionally well-written, timely, and applicable across many interdisciplinary fields, this book exemplifies the contributions psychology can make to our everyday lives. This book is required reading for everyone interested in gaining a better understanding of themselves and the world around them.
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In the Wake of 9/11: The Psychology of Terrorby Anonymous
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November 27, 2002: In the Wake of 9/11: The Psychology of Terror (Washington: American Psychological Association, 2002), Tom Pyszcynski, Sheldon Solomon and Jeff Greenberg. Many have observed that America will never be the same in the wake of the terrorist attacks on US soil on the morning of September 11, 2001. The sudden impact of the explosions, captured in vivid detail and replayed over and over again on television, fundamentally altered the illusion of invulnerability that Americans had enjoyed since World War II. Beginning almost immediately a host of Middle Eastern analysts and academics of all stripes supplied an endless stream of hypotheses concerning ?why they hate us? and the general nature of terrorism, all in a well-meaning effort to come to terms with a national tragedy. But to plumb the depths of terrorism one must look beyond the sound bites, beyond the narrow focus on Middle Eastern politics, beyond popular opinion concerning the supposed differences between Islamic and Judaeo-Christian cultures. This is one of the chief accomplishments of In the Wake of 9/11: The Psychology of Terror. Its authors have succeeded in recasting the psychology of terror against a general theory of human nature. Working in the tradition of cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker, they trace the roots of terrorism to the troubling yet inescapable reality of human mortality. Becker long ago proposed that there exists at all times a latent fear of death that threatens to upend societal equilibrium. To shield ourselves from the ever-present threat of death anxiety, we seek to bolster our self-esteem through group loyalty. Hence competing worldviews threaten us at a very deep level. Becker?s prolific publications were hailed by many as brilliant and garnered him a Pulitzer Prize (for his 1973 classic, The Denial of Death). But he was unable to gain widespread acceptance within the academy. His interdisciplinary methodology ran contrary to the emerging trend toward specialization. And there was the recurring criticism that his bold and far-reaching ideas, while intriguing, were ultimately untestable. Like many pioneering visionaries, Becker?s death was followed by a period of neglect and dormancy. That changed with the appearance of three social psychologists (Pyszczynski, Solomon and Greenberg) who possessed the ingenuity to do what others said could not be done: put Becker?s ideas to the test. Their results demonstrate conclusively that Becker?s ideas are not only theoretically compelling, they are empirically verifiable. Years prior to the devastating events of 9/11, they were testing and developing what came to be called ?terror management theory.? Fine tuning Becker?s ideas, they discovered, among other things, a clear and testable relationship between the awareness of mortality and hostility toward those who appear to subscribe to a different worldview. More specifically, they found people who were asked to consider their mortality would be more favorably predisposed to people who shared their basic world view, and conversely, more negatively predisposed toward outsiders of one kind or another. These findings fit both the surge in patriotic hoopla and the hostility toward foreigners in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. While acknowledging that ?terrorism results from the interaction of a wide range of social, political, ideological, and psychological forces,? the authors set out to ?illuminate the psychological aspects of the problem? (p. 187)....
In the Wake of 9/11: The Psychology of Terrorby Anonymous
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October 31, 2002: This book explores our recent experience of terrorism through the lens of psychological research into the impact of "death anxiety" on human attitudes and behaviors. By the end, we readers have been carried far beyond The Obvious - that death anxiety is aroused by threats to our lives --- and smack into Surprise and Dismay: Surprise, to realize that "death anxiety" is a constant in human nature that is also aroused by perceived threats to anything with which we identify or through which we give meaning to our lives. And Dismay, to realize that death anxiety itself, is a root-cause of human violence. No, that doesn't mean that all of us are physically violent, nor does it mean that psychology alone explains human violence or terrorism. (The authors, true to their multidisciplinary commitments, push the analysis well beyond psychology.) It does mean, however, that we cannot understand or hope to diminish violence without insight into the human factors that contribute to it. The authors paint an accessible but realistically complex picture of the causes and the impact of the events of 9/11, and although they offer no easy answers, their research and analysis give rise to new insights into our human and historical predicament. This is powerful, provocative reading, and while it is often disturbing, it is also peculiarly satisfying because it has the ring of truth. Whether or not you agree with everything the authors say, you will finish this book with revealing new ways to think about human nature, individual and collective violence, the struggle for meaning, and the demands of and obstacles to freedom and tolerance. Here's some more detail on how the book unfolds: The "psychological lens" here is Terror Management Theory (TMT), developed by the authors in the effort to test Ernest Becker's claims that the human fear of death is a source of "human evil." (See especially his Pulitzer Prize winning Denial of Death.) Pyszczynski, Solomon and Greenberg explain how that research was conducted (over about a 15 year period) and present the findings. These chapters can be challenging for those unfamiliar with psychological research methods, but their frequent summaries and conclusions keep the reader on track as the evidence accumulates in support of Becker's claims and TMT. Next, the authors use TMT to analyze the American confrontation with terrorism on September 11, and our responses to it, both individually and collectively. Then they explore the causes of terrorism, adding to their psychological analysis historical, religious, political and economic factors that must be considered. Here too, the application of TMT leads to some unexpected insights. In the end, their concluding suggestions point towards comfortably familiar "American values" but with uncomfortably honest reminders of the challenge they present us.
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