The dawning of the dragon - a developmentally focussed cross-cultural study of terror management theory

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The book aims to expand the validity and applicability of Terror Management Theory (TMT), a significant psychological theory in intergroup relations, which has previously overlooked certain aspects. It addresses three critical under-researched areas: first, testing TMT in real-world settings rather than solely in laboratory environments; second, extending TMT's applicability to societal groups beyond the majority, specifically children and adolescents with and without migration backgrounds; and third, comparing TMT with similar theoretical frameworks. A survey study was conducted to assess TMT's relevance in real-world contexts, revealing that while TMT remains applicable, its impact is less pronounced than in lab studies. The research involved children aged 9-12 and adolescents aged 15-18, including native Germans and those with Russian or Turkish migration backgrounds, allowing for comparisons between natives and migrants, as well as among different migrant groups. The findings indicated that TMT is equally valid for both natives and migrants, with no significant differences between the migrant groups. Additionally, TMT's validity was evaluated against the uncertainty and lack of control approaches through various manipulations. Results demonstrated that these alternative approaches did not yield significant effects, further validating TMT and challenging some earlier research conclusions.