Are You Smarter Than a Cetacean?: Death Reminders and Concerns About Human Intelligence
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Abstract
Terror management theory and research indicate that humans cope with concerns about mortality by believing we are more than nonhuman animals. The current studies investigated whether this motivation plays a role in believing humans are more intelligent than other animals. Study 1 had participants think about mortality or another unpleasant topic. The study found that after the death reminder, participants had more negative reactions to a scientific article describing dolphins as smarter than humans, but not to an article that merely focused on dolphins’ intelligence. Study 2 had participants read an article about dolphins being smarter than humans or an article describing dolphin intelligence without a comparison to humans. Participants then completed a measure that assessed how close to consciousness thoughts of death were. Those who read that dolphins were smarter than humans exhibited higher levels of death-related thought. These results may have important implications for conserving intelligent animal species.
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| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1346 | 183 | 23 |
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Are You Smarter Than a Cetacean?: Death Reminders and Concerns About Human Intelligence
In: Society & AnimalsSearch for other papers by Melissa Soenke in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Florette Cohen in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jeff Greenberg in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Uri Lifshin in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Terror management theory and research indicate that humans cope with concerns about mortality by believing we are more than nonhuman animals. The current studies investigated whether this motivation plays a role in believing humans are more intelligent than other animals. Study 1 had participants think about mortality or another unpleasant topic. The study found that after the death reminder, participants had more negative reactions to a scientific article describing dolphins as smarter than humans, but not to an article that merely focused on dolphins’ intelligence. Study 2 had participants read an article about dolphins being smarter than humans or an article describing dolphin intelligence without a comparison to humans. Participants then completed a measure that assessed how close to consciousness thoughts of death were. Those who read that dolphins were smarter than humans exhibited higher levels of death-related thought. These results may have important implications for conserving intelligent animal species.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1346 | 183 | 23 |
| Full Text Views | 179 | 2 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 165 | 5 | 0 |
