Denying Death by Playing Your Cards Right

By Sara Savar | May 11, 2022

The basic incentive behind gambling is to win money (Binde, 2013). This appeal of monetary gain might lead to the development of a gambling addiction. However, when considering an explanation as to why gambling addictions occur from an existential perspective, a more complex and insightful reason can be achieved. Inspired by the works of Ernest Becker (1973), Terror Management Theory (TMT; Greenberg et al., 1986) suggests that the awareness of death, juxtaposed with our evolutionary inclination to stay alive, provides the potential for death anxiety, which is managed via investment in cultural worldviews and a sense of self-esteem.

TMT suggests that because being self-aware causes awareness of one’s mortality, individuals may attempt to cope with their existential concerns through decreasing their self-awareness (Arndt et al., 1998). Indeed, staring into a mirror triggered participants to think about death (Silvia, 2001). The desire to decrease self-awareness is argued to reflect a motive of existential escape, and is proposed to be particularly appealing to those who possess low self-esteem because they are more vulnerable to death-related thoughts (Wisman, 2006). For example, Wisman et al., (2015) measured the self-esteem of students before a night out and reminded some of these participants of death (vs. a control reminder). They found that death reminders caused participants to consume more alcohol if they had low self-esteem.

Although a different escapist behaviour, it could be assumed that gambling may function similar to alcohol and offer a sense of existential escape. For example, addicted gamblers lack self-awareness, as shown through their poor decision making yet confidence in risk taking during a gambling task (Brevers et al., 2013). Furthermore, research has also shown that addicted gamblers tend to have lower self-esteem in comparison to those who are not addicted (Volberg et al., 1997; see also Hardoon & Derevensky, 2002 for similar findings). Since research suggests that low self-esteem is a valid predictor of gambling behaviours, even amongst young people (Stinchfield & Winters, 1998), it would be plausible to infer through an existential perspective that gambling serves as an escape from reality, wherein the gambler faces low-self-worth and thus seeks avenues through which they can be distracted from it (Barmaki & Zangeneh, 2009).

On the other hand, addiction to gambling may also represent a desire to acquire power and wealth which might help manage the awareness of death. Becker (1975) explains that money represents power and control over one’s life as well as protection, which ultimately ensures security thus enabling the management of existential concerns. Furthermore, TMT argues that existential terror can be managed through the maintenance of one’s worldview (Greenberg et al., 1986). At least in Western society, one’s individual wealth may often define their status, therefore being wealthy is highly admirable and sought after amongst many individuals. Thus, in order to conform to this worldview, people might engage in gambling which could lead to an addiction (Barmaki & Zangeneh, 2009). Studies using the mortality salience hypothesis, which suggests that an increased need for one’s cultural worldview and self-esteem occurs once an individual is reminded of their mortality (Greenberg et al., 1986), may support this assertion. Rindfleisch et al (2009) found that consumers remained loyal and showed unwavering importance towards luxury brands after mortality salience. Additionally, Zaleskiewicz et al (2013) conducted a series of studies, which demonstrated that participants exposed to mortality salience attributed a higher value to money than those who weren’t reminded of death. The researchers also found that a mere interaction with either real or fake money led to a fear of death that was lower than participants not exposed to money. Gambling addictions may therefore represent this desire to acquire wealth and status in order to live up to values promoted in one’s worldview.

In addition, the desire to obtain wealth and status may also provide a sense of symbolic immortality (Becker, 1975). TMT suggests that symbolic immortality provides a way in which people can transcend their mortal, physical self, thus offering an anxiety buffer against thoughts of death (Greenberg et al., 1986). Rockloff et al., (2014) argue that gambling can be viewed as an immortal culture; not only has the practice survived for many years, but the monetary gain may also persist beyond one’s own death, through inheritance or investment means, for example. The researchers support this by showing how, amongst problem gamblers, mortality salience increased a desire to gamble. In a similar fashion, mortality salience also increases deforestation, an effect that was driven by a sense of greed by hoping that one’s company thrives in comparison to other companies (Kasser & Sheldon, 2000). Ultimately, obtaining wealth and status may provide one with a sense of symbolic immortality as they believe some vestige of themselves will persist over time and space. Indeed, findings do show that participants who reflected on how they might be remembered after they die were buffered from subsequent exposure to mortality salience (Florian & Mikulincer, 1998).

 Overall, it is plausible to conclude that the research exploring TMT can aid our understanding of gambling addictions, and why such behaviours are sustained when considering the omnipresence of existential terror. Through a broader appreciation that the role that the awareness of death plays in these issues, we might be better placed to support those who engage in such potentially destructive behaviours.

Sara Savar is a final year student completing a BSc Psychology degree at Royal Holloway, University of London, and was taught Terror Management Theory by Dr. Samuel Fairlamb. She is interested in Occupational Psychology and aspires to pursue a career in Marketing.

REFERENCES

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