Objectives of the Study Definition and Terms

B. Review of related Theories 1. Terror Management Theories

Because this th esis explores someone’s reaction whenever they face something which terrorize their mind, this thesis adopts terror management theory. Terror management theory is a theory which revolves around the management of self esteem to control psychological conflict which is caused by facing the terror of death. This theory is proposed by Seldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, and Tom Pyszczynski Self-esteem is sought because it provides protection against the fear of death, the fear of death is rooted in an instinct for self-preservation that humans share with other species. Although we share this instinct with other species, only we are aware that death is inevitable--that is, that our self preservation instinct will inevitably be thwarted. Greenberg, Pyszczynski, Solomon, 1986: 1. This theory seems to assume that self esteem management is important in coping against fear. Self Esteem can provide protection to one’s mind because it will reduce the thought of fear as long as people can manage their self esteem really well. terror management theory, increased self-esteem According to terror management theory, increased self esteem should enhance the functioning of the cultural anxiety buffer and thereby provide protection against death concerns. In effect, high self-esteem should reduce the effects of MS on worldview defense. Greenberg, Pyszczynski, Solomon, 1986: 6 People who have more self esteem is believed by this theory to be able to control their behavior and fear in front of other people whenever they were facing terror of death. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI Mruk 1999 also agreed that self esteem is an important factor in defending our mind from threatening factor. Mruk believed that people with high self esteem will be able to develop a better control toward threatening thought. a People with either dispositionaly high or experimentally enhanced self- esteem exhibit less anxiety and anxiety-related defense in response to threatening stimuli. High self esteem has also been shown to decrease defensive responses to thoughts of death. Harmon-Jones, 1997 On the other hand, according to Mruk 1999 the mind of people with low self esteem will more likely be affected when they are experiencing threatening stimuli that could affect their mind. Their emotion will be susceptible to various negative effect because the lack of self esteem. People with lower trait self-esteem tend to experience virtually every aversive emotion more frequently than people with higher self-esteem. Trait self-esteem correlates negatively with scores on measures of anxiety, sadness, depression, hostility, anger, social anxiety, shame, guilt, loneliness, as well as general negative affectivity and neuroticism. Mruk, 1999 In summary terror management theory believes that it is important for people to manage their self esteem really well. Because if they want to have better control toward threatening thought, increasing their self esteem is useful to maintaining their control toward their mindemotion. The more self esteem people have, the more they can control their emotion toward threatening stimuli. On the other hand, people with low self esteem will more likely be unable to control their emotion toward threatening stimuli