THIS MORTAL LIFE
POLITICAL MANIPULATION
The Ernest Becker Foundation invites you to join us as we examine the role of mortality reminders in political advertising. Over 30 years of psychological research in the field of Terror Management Theory (TMT) have provided empirical evidence for the ways in which death anxiety influences our behavior, and how it can be used to manipulate us in political contexts.
In this issue of This Mortal Life, we have the privilege of presenting current political advertisements analyzed by undergraduate students at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, under the guidance of Dr. Brian Burke. Our purpose in featuring their analyses is not to support one political party or another, but to highlight the ways in which public views can be manipulated based on psychological response rather than rational deliberation.
Research has shown that after death reminders people prefer charismatic leaders (vs. relationship or task-oriented leaders), regardless of their political preferences or affiliations. Death reminders, such as traumatic world events, can result in a preference for more conservative leaders and more support for policies focused on safety and law and order. One study showed that death reminders increased Americans’ support for extreme military intervention with civilian casualties. Another study showed that just asking people to think about immigrants moving into their neighborhood caused an increase in death-related thoughts, and in turn an increased likelihood that they would vote for a leader who promised to take a hard stance on immigration.
We know that all through history masses have followed leaders because of the magic aura they projected, because they seemed larger than life.
Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death
Fear tactics and death reminders in advertising are more than just emotional appeals; they can directly alter election outcomes and public policy. As Sheldon Solomon, co-founder of TMT, has said, “Anyone who is a fan of democracy should be very concerned by the fact that a relatively subtle alteration of psychological conditions can have such profound effects on political preferences.”
Both major parties aim to cultivate fear and anxiety, a proven method of persuasion. They compel us to support people and programs based on gut-level reactions rather than rational decision making. Our hope is that viewing political advertisements through a “Becker lens” with the help of our Fort Lewis College students will enable us to recognize when our anxieties are being used to coax our political support, so that we make more informed decisions.
DONALD TRUMP: “CHANGING THINGS”
JOE BIDEN: “WHO WE ARE”
JOE BIDEN: “CHARACTER”
Brian Burke, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Fort Lewis College. His research interests include scholarship of teaching, motivational interviewing, and terror management theory. He has published several meta-analyses of terror management theory, which states that much of what humans do may be a defense against their inevitable mortality. He teaches a program on the psychology of happiness in countries such as Costa Rica, Chile and India, and teaches a five-week Field Course in Clinical Psychology, in which students work at the Colorado Mental Health Institute or other direct patient-care facilities. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, and the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.