Terror Management, Illusory Correlation, and Perceptions of Minority Groups

Abstract

This study examined the effect of mortality salience on the formation of distinctiveness-based illusory correlations. I made participants either mortality salient or not and then gave them information about the behavior of members of 2 groups using an illusory correlation paradigm. I expected the illusory correlation to be stronger when I asked participants to contemplate their own death than when I asked them to contemplate a neutral topic. The results of Study 1 supported this prediction on several measures, although the illusory correlation did not occur as expected in the control condition. Consequently, I conducted a 2nd experiment to maximize the illusory correlation effect by presenting the stimuli for a shorter time interval and to replicate the results of Study 1. Although this change did not serve to increase the illusory correlation in the control condition, I replicated the basic findings of Study 1.