Mark J. Landau

Related Links
Social Psychology Program
 

Research Interests

Why are people motivated to perceive themselves as valuable members of a meaningful and orderly world, and what are the consequences of seeking meaning and self-worth for personal growth and achievement? My research addresses these questions from the framework of terror management theory. Briefly stated, the theory posits that people invest in a meaningful cultural reality and a perception of themselves as valuable in large measure to deny the inevitability of death. This analysis, though a bit unsettling, helps us understand the motivations behind a wide spectrum of cognitive processes and social behaviors (for more on the theory, check out www.tmt.missouri.edu/. Collaborative projects are underway examining the role of mortality concerns in the construction of life narratives, the appeal of charismatic leaders, and the potential for conflict between preserving meaning and striving for self-worth. 

I'm also interested in the cognitive mechanisms that underlie the everyday construction of social meaning. I'm particularly focused on the notion that metaphor, long thought to be a matter of "mere" language, is a fundamental mode of thought whereby we understand one type of experience in terms of a dissimilar, typically more concrete type of experience. Current research examines how metaphors shape people's conceptions of the social world and their own lives.

Email me if you are interested in learning more about these lines of research or if you would like to contribute to them as a research assistant or graduate student.

Selected Publications:

Landau, M. J., Johns, M., Greenberg, J., Pyszczynski, T., Martens, A., Goldenberg, J. L., & Solomon, S. (2004). A function of form: Terror management and structuring the social world. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 190-210.

Landau, M. J., Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., Cohen, F., Pyszczynski, T., Arndt, J., Miller, C. H., Ogilvie, D. M., & Cook, A. (2004). Deliver us from evil: The effects of mortality salience and reminders of 9/11 on support for President George W. Bush. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 1136-1150. 

Landau, M. J., Goldenberg, J., Greenberg, J., Gillath, O., Solomon, S., Cox, C., Martens, A., & Pyszczynski, T. (2006). The siren’s call: Terror management and the threat of men’s sexual attraction to women. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90, 129-146.

Landau, M. J., Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., Pyszczynski, T. & Martens, A. (2006). Windows into nothingness: Terror management, meaninglessness, and negative reactions to modern art. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90, 879-892.

Landau, M. J., & Greenberg, J. (2006). Play it safe or go for the gold? A terror management perspective on self-enhancement and protection motives in risky decision making. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 1633-1645.