Terror management theory in action during a realtime mortality salience experience: The case of parents’ and grandparents’ reactions to wartime

The study qualitatively analyzed parents’ and grandparents’ reactions to the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war, utilizing a priori a deductive approach with Terror Management Theory (TMT) for the analysis. Israeli parents (19) and grandparents (17) were interviewed up to one month following the event. The findings are presented through two themes. The first indicates that the events raised a dramatic mortality salience, whereas the second, consisting of three sub-themes, shows how this real-life mortality salience led to both the breakdown of TMT regulating mechanisms and their reestablishment through enhancing self-esteem, validating cultural worldviews and actively seeking to be close to significant others. Whereas most previous studies concentrated on traumatic responses in such events, this study offers a solid validated theory dealing with death awareness as an explanation to such responses, thus helping to further elaborate both the conceptualization and application of TMT.