The Roles of Self-Esteem and Attachment Within the Framework of Terror Management Theory

Abstract

Built upon the idea that human beings, as the only species whose members are aware of their own consciousness and future death, have to come up with a system to deal with this awareness, Terror Management theory aims to shed light on the mechanisms that human beings have developed in order to avoid the cold fact of death. According to Terror Management Theory, culture serves as an anxiety buffer against death by offering either a literal or symbolic immortality. The sense of protection and safety provided by the parental care in childhood is sought in the worldview in adulthood;  just like a child acting in a way to please her/his parents to maintain their affection and care, an adult attains the sense of safety by acting in compliance to her/his worldview. At this point, self-esteem comes into the equation; individuals with high self-esteem experience more sense of compliance with their worldview than those with low self-esteem, and they feel less anxiety when their mortality is reminded to them. Recent research links these with attachment styles. Relationships with the environment and the primary caregiver in early childhood can be determinative on self-esteem. In this study, it is aimed to review the ideas presented here and developed within the framework of Terror Management Theory, and to discuss the benefits that can be drawn from their findings, especially in regards to clinical applications. 

Keywords

• terror management,attachment,self-esteem

Dehşet Yönetimi Kuramı Çerçevesinde Benlik Saygısı ve Bağlanmanın Rolü

Öz

İnsanın, diğer canlılardan farklı olarak kendi bilincinin ve müstakbel ölümünün farkında ve bu farkındalıkla başa çıkabilmek bir sistem geliştirme ihtiyacında olduğu düşüncesinden yola çıkarak ortaya konan Terör Yönetimi Kuramı, insanın ölüm gerçeğinden kaçmak için geliştirdiği mekanizmalara ışık tutmayı amaçlamaktadır. Terör Yönetimi Kuramı’na göre kültür, gerçek ya da sembolik anlamda bir ölümsüzlük vaadiyle ölüm karşısında bir kaygı tamponu görevi görmektedir. Çocuklukta ebeveyn ilgisi ve sevgisinin sağladığı koruma ve güvenlik hissi zamanla dünya görüşünde aranır; tıpkı anne-babanın sevgisini kazanmak için onların istediği şekilde davranan bir çocuk gibi, bir yetişkin de dünya görüşüne uygun davranarak güvenlik duygusunu elde eder. Bu noktada benlik saygısı devreye girmektedir; benlik saygısı yüksek olan bireyler dünya görüşleriyle uyum içerisinde olduklarını daha fazla hissetmekte ve ölümleri belirginleştirildiğinde daha az kaygı hissetmektedirler. Yakın zamanda yapılan çalışmalar, bu durumu bağlanma tarzlarıyla ilişkilendirmektedir. Erken çocukluk döneminde çevre ve bakıcıyla olan ilişkiler, benlik saygısı üzerinde belirleyici olabilmektedir. Bu çalışmada, Terör Yönetimi Kuramı çerçevesinde sözü edilen bu görüşleri incelemek üzere yapılan çalışmaların derlenmesi ve bulgularının klinik anlamda ne tür faydalar sağlayabileceğinin tartışılması amaçlanmaktadır.  

Anahtar Kelimeler

• terör yönetimi,bağlanma,benlik saygısı

Kaynakça

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