Till Death

Do Us Part
Decision Behavior

Group 9
Bilal Tariq
M a h a mH a s n a i n
Neha Mashood
Nehal Hassan
S am a n a A l i
Yusra Abbasi

[Pick the date]

 2

Contents
Abstract 3
Introduction 3
Terror Management Theory 3
Brand Loyalty 4
Afterlife 7
Experiment Design 7
Analysis and Results: 9
Brand Loyalty scores: 9
Death Prime versus Base case: 10
After life prime versus Base Case: 10
Effect of Materialism on Relationship between Brand Loyalty and Death 11
Effect of Religiosity on relationship between Brand Loyalty and Death plus After Life 12
Effect of Insecurity on relationship between Brand Loyalty and Death plus After Life 13
Limitations of the Study 14
Recommendations 14
Works Cited 15
Appendix 16
 3

Till Death Do Us Part

Abstract

This paper aims towards exploring the relationship between the Terror Management Theory (TMT) and
brand loyalty in the context of a Muslim country like Pakistan where the belief in afterlife changes what
other research studies in this topic area have founded. We first found that under a mortality salience
(MS) condition, brand loyalty increases. However, reminding the experimental subjects of the concept of
afterlife by way of introducing an afterlife prime, more or less reversed what happened in the former
condition. The next step was to introduce various mediators that may or may not affect the extent to
which the afterlife prime had an effect on the subjects. The most important of these mediators was the
measure of religiosity. We found that individuals scoring high on religiosity had greater decreases in
brand loyalty post-death and afterlife primes than those scoring low on religiosity. Other mediators that
were studied in this paper were personal insecurity and materialism.

Introduction

This research paper presents TMT as a means of understanding how the awareness of mortality and
death affects consumption and consumer decisions with reference to connected factors such as
materialism, religiosity and self-esteem. We explain how death anxiety leads one to take consumer
decisions that aim to strengthen ones cultural worldview and self-esteem as a means of feeling
permanent in the face of mortality salience. We also study how the entire concept of brand loyalty
relates to an individual’s consumeristic worldview which is not unaffected by his/her personal
insecurities, religiosity and level of materialism. This overview will explain how we have used our
understanding of the TMT and connected it to brand loyalty before we introduced the concept of
afterlife in order to study its effects on the aforementioned relationship.

Terror Management Theory

TMT explains the existential concern that occupies the human psyche and often results in anxiety as
man struggles between his desire to feel permanent in his mental capacities while struggling with the
shortcomings of his physical body and the inevitability of its death and decay. Moreover, various studies
 4

on TMT have found that mortality salience leads to feelings of discomfort and a variety of heightened
reactive behaviors such as anxiety (Castano et al., 2011).

According to the mortality salience hypothesis of TMT, salience of mortality intensifies “reliance on and
defense of psychological structures that help one sustain faith in the meaningfulness and significance of
one’s life” (Landau et al. 2006, p.131). Death primes in most experiments (Landau et. al, 2006; Castano
et al. 2011; Morris & Goldenberg, 2014) require the participants to write about the emotions they feel
when thinking about death or the physical aspects of dying. However, people may have differing abilities
of visualization. Some may be able to visualize death very clearly while other may fail to do so, which
would imply that the concept of death is a lot less salient and active in their minds as compared to the
people belonging to the former category. The study in this research paper uses a manipulation check
involving a short survey in order to ensure whether the participants have successfully grasped the
concept of mortality. Other ways in which mortality can be made salient is by using subliminal stimuli
such as randomly flashing death-related words on a screen for a fraction of a second. Here, the
participants are not exactly consciously aware to the idea of mortality but the concept however is
subliminally activated in their subconscious. Additionally, closeness to a funeral home or reading an
article about death can also activate the concept of mortality in an individual’s mind.

Exposure to death related thoughts results in mortality being salient in ones conscious, focal awareness
which results in increased death thought accessibility and a subsequent proximal defense reaction
comprising of suppression of death-related thoughts or denying one’s vulnerability to risk factors
(Castano et al., 2011). Death can be allowed to leave the focal awareness in an experimental setting by
means of introducing a delay after for example solving a puzzle (Landau et al., 2006) after which distal
defenses kick in that bolster one’s faith in a meaningful worldview and the self as special and permanent
(Castano et al., 2011). For the purpose of this study we require that the concept of mortality exists in the
participants subconscious for the manipulation to have an effect on their consumer decisions and level
of brand loyalty.

An understanding of the TMT is essential for laying a concrete basis for systematically building the
theories that this paper has tested. Humans basically like to believe that their existence is more or less
permanent and anything that reminds them of the ephemerality of their existence sets off a reactive
defense mechanism that is aimed towards coping with the anxiety caused by the awareness of their
mortality.

Brand Loyalty

Following Escalas and Bettman (2003) we define brand loyalty as the extent to which a consumer has
linked his/her self-concept to a certain brand. In numerous consumer behavior studies, brand loyalty has
been used as a framework to understand how existential insecurity as proposed by the TMT is dealt with
by using brands as defensive buffer.

What we propose through this paper is that the fear of death encourages individuals to form even
stronger connections with brands than they usually would as a means of feeling immortal or permanent.
 5

Attaching your self-esteem or identity to what a particular brand stands for can help one identify with
the particular brand and feel in oneself the qualities and characteristics the brand seems to possess.
Therefore, brand loyalty involves ‘acquiring tangible symbols of value’ (Mendel & Heine, 1999) that
provide a sense of immortality by serving as a cultural worldview.

Brands are culturally symbolic ((Maclnnis & Park, 2015, Brand Meaning Management) and contain
positive cultural equity that provide their consumers with a sense of belonging to something that is
larger than their individual (and mortally constrained) existence. Consumers tend to make strong
connections to the brands that they think will help them secure a place in a group or culture. Moreover,
brand loyalty aids the process of positive self-construal which helps consumers build their identity
within the cultural contexts they find themselves in as well as how they view themselves independent of
any other factors.

Brands that we feel loyal to are part of what we refer to as our cultural worldviews. Moreover, as
proven by multiple studies, mortality salience triggers a cultural worldview defense reaction. Since
brands provide a sense of symbolic immortality, mortality salience causes individuals to adhere even
strongly to the brands they are generally loyal to. Additionally brands serve as cultural icons (Maclnnis &
Park, 2015) creating a sense of community among their consumers by making them feel a sense of
communal attachment to a certain cultural group.

Brands often embody various abstract cultural characteristics that align the brand identity with that of a
certain or specific culture or group. Brands with individualistic values may exhibit attitudes such as those
relating to power, beauty, hedonism, and self-direction (Maclnnis & Park, 2015, p.96) which may acquire
a degree of cultural equity or value by aligning its image with what a certain culture stands for or
perpetrates. Various studies support the proposition that reminders of mortality intensify the desire to
express cultural values and to engage in culturally prescribed behavior (see Greenberg et al., 2004).
Furthermore, reminders of death not only intensify the desire to express and praise cultural values, but
also the inclination to defend the values and norms of one's cultural worldview (in-group-bias) and, at
the same time, the tendency to derogate values of other cultures (out-group derogation) (Fransen et al.,
2008).

Consumerism and materialism on the other hand can be viewed as cultural worldview values. Especially
with the rise of what we may refer to as the ‘Western’ way of living, brands increasingly encourage a
sense of materialism and luxury that can only be derived from things. Moreover, thoughts about death
intensify the desire to meet these values by acting in accordance with them because this will boost self-
esteem. In line with these notions, research shows that participants who consciously think about their
mortality evaluate their financial future more positively, and expect to spend more money on luxury
items in the next fifteen years than participants in the control condition (Kasser and Sheldon, 2000).

Several studies have been conducted in the marketing world, which highlights the impact that the
content of a program being aired on television has on a consumer’s mood, which ultimately influences
their perception of a product, which is advertised during the program. This invariably dictates the
consumers buying patterns for all such products.
 6

Terror Management Theory (TMT) brings to light the motivational impact that thoughts of doom and
death have on the various facets of an individual’s life. TMT theory was conceived in 1986 and initially
focused solely on death as a manipulative factor on a person’s thoughts. Now however, the theory has
undergone a slight yet noteworthy change with recent studies looking to gauge the accessibility of
death-related cognition, more commonly known as Death-Thought Accessibility (DTA) studies. This has
led to a marked increase in publications on death-thought accessibility studies. Keeping in line with this
shifting trend, this article aims to review the theoretical and empirical literature, which seeks to explain
this phenomenon. It will begin with a discussion of the roots of DTA following which article will outline
the academic refinements that TMT has undergone in light of the research findings, which accompany
the DTA concept. To give structure to this review of DTA, four distinct category divisions are used
(mortality salience, death association, anxiety-buffer threat, and dispositional) and the implications of
each category are assessed separately. Lastly, the paper seeks to address the current issues with the
existing literature on DTA so as to provide a direction for the focus of future research on DTA specifically
and TMT in general.

Naomi Mandel and Steven J. Heine hypothesized that certain emotional settings lead will affect the
evaluation of a product in the mind of a consumer and this evaluation may be different from its
established status. This proposition claims that subjects who are influenced in to think about death will
be more inclined to purchase high-end ‘premium’ products as opposed to those who have not been
influenced to think about death. Studies by Belk and Pollay (1985) prove that the media is increasingly
portraying consumption as an end in itself with material ownership being looked upon as a source of
welfare and contentment. The act of wearing designer clothing or driving a luxury car gives individuals a
sense of elevation in today’s culture, thus relieving any apprehension which may arise as a response to
the threats to his morality.

Mandel’s research also correlates the affects death relating stimuli have on the quantity purchased and
consumed by consumers of both low and high self esteem. We concur with this correlation and prove
that individuals who are reminded of that death is inevitable actually purchase and consume more food
products as opposed to their counterparts who are not given a realization of death. This effect is more
dominant amongst individuals with low self-esteem. This finding can be attributed an individual’s
attempt to escape their self-awareness. Participants with low self esteem (not high) consume more in
response to triggers which make them more aware of death as a means to escape from this sudden
realization that their existence is finite. Other alternative explanations for this phenomenon are also
addressed. Consumption also helps individuals cope with their existential concerns (Arndt et al. 2004).
For instance, Mandel and Heine (1999) exposure to information related to an individual’s demise
directly led to an increased interest in luxury brands, which could augment the social status of the
individual in today’s consumer driven culture. Another study by Kasser and Sheldon revealed that MS
participants forecasted higher earnings for themselves in the future and foresaw themselves spending
more on luxury items and entertainment as opposed control participants. Thus, these prior researches
hold up the belief that materialism might be seen as global trait. Materialism over here is defined as a
belief that material possessions, which help determine ones social status, will lead to individual
 7

contentment. Therefore, we have incorporated materialism as a factor to measure its moderating

effects on consumer’s mortality salience and their brand loyalty.

The thought of dying without leaving a significant mark on the universe in their lifetime poses a direct
threat to the self-esteem of an individual. In an attempt to mitigate such worries, two well-established
strategies are used. One is to bolster self-esteem and the other is to defend cultural worldview
(Greenberg et al. 1986). On the other hand, self-awareness is also increased by thoughts of mortality.
MS however may also make self-awareness particularly aversive. Therefore, individuals who are highly
self-aware might feel that bolstering their self-esteem or using worldview defense as counters are not
practicable as they might not be subject to the self-delusion that these strategies require. If we
extrapolate this, we can expect that reminders of death with lead to a higher level of consumption of a
consumer’s favorite brand as it presents an opportunity to avoid the anxiety that accompanies death.
Hence we can safely propose that MS will lead to extraneous consumption so we have also incorporated
self esteem to moderate these proposed effects.

Afterlife

Various religions in the world have a belief in afterlife. Pakistan is an Islamic country with a great
majority of Muslims who believe that their existence will not end with their deaths. Various Quranic
verses promise an eternal life after the Day of Judgment. Moreover, it is important to note how most of
the TMT and consumer behavior research has been done for the Western audiences. This paper hopes
to explore whether the relationships and patterns proven in prior Western literature also hold in the
Pakistani context. The belief in an afterlife has interesting effects on the TMT brand loyalty hypothesis.
The concept of afterlife has interesting consequences on the entire idea of death anxiety and how an
individual may perceive the fear of that. Unfortunately, we could not find any research that may relate
the concept of afterlife to TMT but we hypothesized a fall in brand loyalty in spite of mortality salience
when an afterlife prime exists because the belief in afterlife provides a sense of security and immortality
in the face of the existential threat posed by an MS condition.

Experiment Design

To answer our research question “Does the fear of death have an affect on brand loyalty”, there were
three central objectives that the experiment aimed to study.

• Does a death prime have an effect on brand loyalty

• Does an afterlife prime has any effect on this relationship

• Whether religiosity, materialism and personal insecurity act as mediators in this relationship.

The experiment was thus designed to measure the base level extent of brand loyalty in experimental
subjects (which would be the control), to measure to what extent brand loyalty changes when a death
prime exists, to see the effect on brand loyalty when the afterlife prime is introduced in addition to a
 8

preceding death prime and finally to test how levels of religiosity, materialism and insecurity affect these
relationships.

The variables selected to test the relationship were then as follows:

Independent Variables: X1: Mortality Salience X2: After Life Prime

Dependent Variables: Y: Level of Brand Loyalty

Mediators: 1) Materialism 2) Religiosity 3) Personal Insecurity

The hypotheses that were to be tested in the experiment were then formed using the variables above.

H1 Mortality salience leads to increased brand loyalty.

H2 An afterlife prime following a death prime will counter the effect of MS and brand loyalty will remain
unchanged from base level or rise less as compared to earlier.

H3 Mediators (religiosity, materialism, personal insecurity) have an effect on this relationship.

The sample size for the study consisted of a 100 university students from different fields of study
between the ages of 18 and 23. These students were then divided into three groups, two experimental
groups and one control group. Group A was introduced to the first manipulation that measured the
effect of death prime on the level of brand loyalty. Group B had an additional after-life prime that
followed after a death prime to measure the effects generated by this addition on brand loyalty. Group
C was our control group that had no primes and measured the base level of brand loyalty, which served
as the point of comparison.

Three different versions of the same survey, just with slight variations according to which group it was
were created and respectively given to each group. Due to time and resource restraints the surveys
were administered online. The surveys were designed to include questions that tested brand loyalty,
religiosity and materialism. Brand loyalty and Materialism was tested using a Likert scale with questions
such as “Using this brand helps me express my personality.” and “I (can) use this brand to communicate
who I am to other people.” Religiosity was tested using the ‘Religious Orientation Scale’ by Gorsuch &
McPherson. This involved making the participants respond to phrases such as “I enjoy reading about my
religion.” And “Prayer is for peace and happiness.”

The manipulations for the independent variables were created by priming them which is the process of
making a certain idea salient in a person’s mind by means of exposure to a stimulus that can be
associated implicitly to a concept in the person’s memory (Baumeister). Therefore Group A was first
introduced to a death prime to make the concept of mortality salient in their subconscious before they
were made to answer the survey questions. This was done by first making the participants read the
following passage from the “Leaf Storm” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez that described a dead body to make
them visualize death.
 9

“I always thought that dead people should have hats on. Now I can see that
they shouldn't. I can see that they have a head like wax and a handkerchief
tied around their jawbone. I can see that they have their mouth open a little
and that behind the purple lips you can see the stained and irregular teeth. I
can see that they keep their tongue bitten over to one side, thick and sticky, a
little darker than the color of their face, which is like the color of fingers
clutching a stick. I can see that they have their eyes open much wider than a
man's, anxious and wild, and that their skin seems to be made of tight damp
earth. I thought that a dead man would look like somebody quiet and asleep
and now I can see that it's just the opposite. I can see that he looks like
someone awake and in a rage after a fight.”(Marquez)

Next they were asked to describe the emotions aroused in them when they thought of their own death
and were then finally asked to jot down as specifically as possible of what they thought would happen
physically when they die and when they are dead. This we thought would be sufficient enough to prime
the participants of death. After the prime was introduced the participants were made to answer a
couple of randomized questions as a delay to push away the active thoughts of death into the
subconscious because the experiment was designed to study the subconscious effect of mortality
salience.

Group B was asked to follow the above steps as well, however after the death prime and a delay they
were introduced to an Afterlife prime. The participants were asked to read passages about the after life
from the Holy Quran that are presented in the appendix in figure 1. This would test if and when
participants were presented with the concept of the afterlife what affect would that have on the
relationship between brand loyalty and mortality salience.

Once the primes were introduced and after the delay the participants were made to answer questions
that measured their brand loyalty and then questions that when answered would show us the effects of
the mediators on the different relationships.

Analysis and Results:

Brand Loyalty scores:
In order to test the Hypothesis quantitatively, the responses of the respondents on questions
related to Brand Loyalty were averaged and scaled to form a Brand Loyalty score out of 10 for each
respondent. After calculating the Brand Loyalty scores for all the participants, average score was
calculated for the three groups. These results are shown in the Exhibit below:

Death Prime Control Group (Base Case) After life prime following Death
Prime

5.048 3.942 3.165

 10

As shown in the table above, the respondents of the Death Prime group had a higher average
brand loyalty score then the base case. Moreover, in the case when respondents were primed with after
life right after their death prime, their brand loyalty scores dropped below the base case. However, to
make sure that these differences in means are statistically significant, an independent t-test was
conducted on SPSS.

Death Prime versus Base case:

The following table shows the SPSS output of the independent t-test between the two groups:
Independent Samples Test
Levene's Test for t-test for Equality of Means
Equality of
Variances
F Sig. t df Sig. Mean Std. Error 95% Confidence
(2- Differenc Difference Interval of the
tailed e Difference
) Lower Upper
Equal 2.
variances .261 .612 95 45 .005 1.1062 .3748 .3512 1.8611
BrandLo assumed 1
y_D Equal 2. 43.
variances not 94 81 .005 1.1062 .3758 .3486 1.8637
assumed 3 4

The SPSS output shows that the difference between the two means is 1.106 and the P value of the
comparison is 0.005. This is less than 0.05 which means that the difference between the two brand
loyalty scores is significant and the result can be applied on the real population with 95% confidence
interval.

Hypothesis 1: We have decided to accept our hypothesis one and conclude that mortality salience
increases the brand loyalty of individuals. When our sample was primed with death, the respondents
displayed an increase in their brand loyalty as compared to the base case. This increase was proved
significant through the SPSS analysis.

After life prime versus Base Case:

An independent t-test was ran for these two groups too and the output is shown belo

Independent Samples Test

Levene's Test for t-test for Equality of Means
Equality of
Variances
F Sig. t df Sig. Mean Std. Error 95% Confidence
(2- Differenc Difference Interval of the
tailed e Difference
) Lower Upper
BrandLo -
Equal
y_D 2.
variances .004 .947 42 .033 -.7933 .3595 -1.5189 -.0678
20
assumed
7
Equal - 40. .033 -.7933 .3591 -1.5186 -.0681
variances not 2. 77
 11

20
assumed 7
9

The table shows that the mean difference between the two group’s brand loyalty score is 0.7933 and
the p value is 0.033. This shows that the average brand loyalty score for after life prime group is
significantly less than the average brand loyalty score for the control group (or the base case).
Therefore, it can be assumed for the real world population that the brand loyalty score for people who
are primed with after life prime following a death prime show a decrease in their brand loyalty as
compared to the base case.

Hypothesis 2: We have decided to accept our hypothesis two because according to our results, the
brand loyalty of individuals does not stay the same as the base case when primed with after life
following a death prime. Instead it goes below the brand loyalty for the base case. When our sample
was primed with after life, the respondents displayed a decrease in their brand loyalty as compared to
the base case. This decrease was proved significant through the SPSS analysis.

Effect of Materialism on Relationship between Brand Loyalty and Death

Previous studies linking death anxiety and brand loyalty have proven high levels of materialism to
strengthen individual’s connection to brands (Rindfleisch, Burroughs, Wong) ur study confirmed this
claim in the Pakistani context as well.
Model Summaryb,c
Mo R R Adjust Std. Change Statistics Durbin-Watson Statistic
del Group = Group ~= Squ ed R Error R F d d Sig. Group = Group ~=
Control Control are Squar of the Squa Cha f f F Control Control
(Selecte (Unselecte e Estima re nge 1 2 Chan (Selecte (Unselecte
d) d) te Chan ge d) d)
ge
.15 4.40 2
1 .394a .400 .120 1.1512 .155 1 .047 1.858 1.286
5 5 4
a. Predictors: (Constant), Rel
b. Unless noted otherwise, statistics are based only on cases for which Group = Control.
c. Dependent Variable: BrandLoy

ANOVAa,b
Model Sum of df Mean F Sig.
Squares Square
Regression 5.837 1 5.837 4.405 .047c
1 Residual 31.806 24 1.325
Total 37.643 25
a. Dependent Variable: BrandLoy
b. Selecting only cases for which Group = Control
c. Predictors: (Constant), Rel

The regression analysis run for the Brand Loyalty and Materialism variables in the Death Prime Only
context yielded significant results with the p-value at 0.008 (p<0.05) as shown in the tables above.

Effect of Religiosity on relationship between Brand Loyalty and Death plus After Life
Model Summaryb,c
Mo R R Adjust Std. Change Statistics Durbin-Watson Statistic
del Group = Group ~= Squ ed R Error R F d d Sig. Group = Group ~=
are Squar of the
 12

Control Control e Estima Squa Cha f f F Control Control

(Selecte (Unselecte te re nge 1 2 Chan (Selecte (Unselecte
d) d) Chan ge d) d)
ge
.15 4.40 2
1 .394a .400 .120 1.1512 .155 1 .047 1.858 1.286
5 5 4
a. Predictors: (Constant), Rel
b. Unless noted otherwise, statistics are based only on cases for which Group = Control.
c. Dependent Variable: BrandLoy

ANOVAa,b
Model Sum of df Mean F Sig.
Squares Square
Regression 5.837 1 5.837 4.405 .047c
1 Residual 31.806 24 1.325
Total 37.643 25
a. Dependent Variable: BrandLoy
b. Selecting only cases for which Group = Control
c. Predictors: (Constant), Rel

To explore the effect of Religiosity in the context of Brand Loyalty, Death and After Life variables, we ran
a regression on SPSS and the relationship between Religiosity and Loyalty within our sample population
yielded significant results with a p-value of 0.045 (p<0.05). This means in a real world population a
greater level of religiosity will increase brand loyalty with the presence of death and after life prime. The
afterlife prime gives us a new insight in to these relationships. The more religious an individual, the after
life prime lowered the level of brand loyalty.

Effect of Insecurity on relationship between Brand Loyalty and Death plus After Life
Model Summaryb,c
Mo R R Adjust Std. Change Statistics Durbin-Watson Statistic
del Group = Group ~= Squ ed R Error R F d d Sig. Group = Group ~=
Death Death are Squar of the Squa Cha f f F Death Death
(Selected) (Unselected e Estima re nge 1 2 Chan (Selecte (Unselecte
) te Chan ge d) d)
ge
.12 2.85 2
1 .346a .428 .078 1.3082 .120 1 .106 1.184 1.223
0 2 1
a. Predictors: (Constant), Insec
b. Unless noted otherwise, statistics are based only on cases for which Group = Death.
c. Dependent Variable: BrandLoy
ANOVAa,b
Mod Sum df Mea F Sig.
el of n
Squ Squ
ares are
1 Reg 4.88 1 4.88 2.85 .106c
 13

ressi
0 0 2
on
Resi 35.9 1.71
21
dual 37 1
Tota 40.8
22
l 17
a. Dependent Variable: BrandLoy
b. Selecting only cases for which Group = Death
c. Predictors: (Constant), Insec

In the presence of the Death plus After Life prime we explored the relationship between Brand Loyalty
and Insecurity. Our regression results proved the relationship insignificant with a p-value of 0.106.
Individuals who are more insecure tend to be more Brand loyal in the base case. However, once exposed
to the death and after life primes their brand loyalty still decreased in spite of their level of personal
insecurity. Hence we can say that Personal Insecurity is not a mediator in the relationship of an
Individual’s brand loyalty affected by the death and afterlife primes.

The study was done amongst the university level students to understand how afterlife prime creates an
impact in the eastern world. In the West, a study has been carried out to gauge the impact of death
prime on the brand loyalty of people. It was noted that the brand loyalty increases when a person thinks
about his/her mortality. Thus, the study was extended and our results showed that the Eastern side of
the world has increase in brand loyalty due to fear of death but it decreases when they know that this
world isn’t the end and there is a life after it where they will enjoy the bounties of life for eternity.

Limitations of the Study

As with any study there were a few limitations to ours well. Because of resource constraints we had a
limited sample size sample size. The survey was filled by a total of 100 people. Moreover the sample
could not be generalized to a population, as it did not vary; the people who filled the survey were
university level students thus making the analysis limited.

The setting of the survey may have also affected the results. An online survey was conducted rather than
conducting it in person. And the survey was uploaded online on social media. This could have meant
that the people filling the survey might not have been honest with their responses or may not have read
through the priming section well enough to be thoroughly primed.

Recommendations
 14

We have several recommendations to improve the scope and reliability of the study. One is to get
responses from a greater number of people. More respondents per survey can help refine the results.
Moreover the surveys should Target a variety of segments. The survey should be filled out by teens,
middle-aged men/women, old aged people, working class and college/university students to make it
easier to generalize to a greater population.

It is advisable to conduct an experiment rather than an online survey to get greater accuracy in results. It
will help create a similar setting for all the respondents and they will be able to pay attention to the
survey form. If an experiment is impossible to conduct then, the delay questions should be incorporated
like we did in our survey to ensure if the people were filling the survey attentively or not.

A similar after life prime study can also be conducted in other Eastern countries to analyze how they
react to an afterlife prime. Apart from gauging materialism and personal insecurity, other new elements
can be added to enhance the scope of the study.

An interesting addition in this topic area would be to link these findings to advertising and marketing in
order to explore how the fear of death can be used in reminder advertising or marketing or new and old
products to increase levels of brand loyalty. Various studies have proven how insurance ads tend to be
highly effective in encouraging consumer loyalty. Moreover, another study (Landau, 2005) has found
that bodies of sexually alluring women can instill the fear of death in men. Perhaps this is why various
brands use sex appeal as a means of communicating brand equity.

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New York: Springer, 189–212.
 15

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Death-thought Accessibility Concept in Terror Management Research." Psychological Bulletin 136.5
(2010): 699-739. Web.

Kasser, Tim and Kennon M. Sheldon (2000), “Of Wealth and Death: Materialism, Mortality Salience, and
Consumption Behavior,” Psychological Science, 11 (July), 348–51.

Malhotra, Naresh K. Brand Meaning Management. Place of Publication Not Identified: Emerald Group,
2015. Print.

Mandel, Naomi, and Dirk Smeesters. "The Sweet Escape: Effects of Mortality Salience on Consumption
Quantities for High‐ and Low‐Self‐Esteem Consumers." Journal of Consumer Research J CONSUM
RES35.2 (2008): 309-23. Web.

Márquez, Gabriel García, and Gabriel García Márquez. Leaf Storm. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

Naomi Mandel and Steven J. Heine,"Terror Management and Marketing: He Who Dies With the Most
Toys Wins", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 26 (1999), eds. Eric J. Arnould and Linda M.
Scott, Provo, UT : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 527-532.

RINDFLEISCH, ARIC, JAMES E. BURROUGHS, and NANCY WONG. "The Safety of Objects: Materialism,
Existential Insecurity, and Brand Connection." Journal Of Consumer Research 36 (2009): n. pag. 2008.
Web.

Appendix

Figure
 16

Survey for Group A

Till Death To Us Part

I always thought that dead people should have hats on. Now I can see that
they shouldn't. I can see that they have a head like wax and a handkerchief
tied around their jawbone. I can see that they have their mouth open a little
and that behind the purple lips you can see the stained and irregular teeth. I
can see that they keep their tongue bitten over to one side, thick and sticky, a
little darker than the color of their face, which is like the color of fingers
clutching a stick. I can see that they have their eyes open much wider than a
man's, anxious and wild, and that their skin seems to be made of tight damp
earth. I thought that a dead man would look like somebody quiet and asleep
and now I can see that it's just the opposite. I can see that he looks like
someone awake and in a rage after a fight.

Top of Form
Please briefly describe the emotions that the thought of your own
death arouses in you. *

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Jot down as specifically as you can what you think will happen as you
physically die and once you’re physically dead. *

______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Match each world in the column to a similar word in the row. *

Eiffel Ronald
Cub Lahore Ink Sugar Whale Ferrari Boat
Tower o

Tea
 17

Ship

Sea

Lion

Pakista
n

Paris

Footbal
l 

Pen

Car

Mention your favorite brand or a brand that you think describes you
best, purchase frequently and feel a personal connection to. *

Keep this brand in mind when answering the following questions.

I have a strong interest in purchasing this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Using this brand helps me express my personality. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

To buy this brand would be like giving myself a present or treat. *

 18

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I intend to keep buying this same brand for the foreseeable future. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Next time I shop for this brand, I would be willing to pay more for this
brand than other brands. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

This brand reflects who I am. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I feel a personal connection to this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I (can) use this brand to communicate who I am to other people. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 19

Strongly Strongly
Disgaree Agree

I really identify with people who use this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disgaree Agree

People who are like me use this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I feel a deep connection with others who use this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I admire people who own expensive homes, cars, and clothes. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disgaree Agree

The things I own say a lot about how well I am doing in life. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I like to own things that impress people. *

 20

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I try to keep my life simple, as far as possessions are concerned. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I like a lot of luxury in my life. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I would be happier if I could afford to buy more things. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

It sometimes bothers me quite a bit that I cannot afford to buy all the
things I would like. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I am frightened by the idea that all my thoughts and feelings will stop
when I am dead. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 21

Strongly Strongly
Disgaree Agree

Thinking about my death makes me feel afraid. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

The very idea that my entire personality will disappear forever with my
death appalls me. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

The idea that I will never be able to think and experience anything after
my death disturbs me. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

The idea that my body will disappear after my death disturbs me. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I am self-conscious about the way I look and present myself. *

 22

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I usually worry about making a good impression. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I am concerned about what other people think of me. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

When engaged in an important task, most of my thoughts turn to bad

things that might happen. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

For me, avoiding failure has a greater emotional impact than the
emotional impact of achieving success. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

More often than not, I feel unsure of my abilities. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 23

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I often wish that I felt more certain of my strengths and weaknesses. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

As I begin an important activity I usually feel confident in my ability. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I enjoy reading about my religion. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

It doesn’t matter much what I believe as long as I am good. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

It is important for me to spend time in private thought and prayer. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I have often had a strong sense of God’s presence. *

 24

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I pray mainly to gain relief and protection. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I try hard to live my life according to my religious beliefs. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Prayer is for peace and happiness. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Although I am religious, I don’t let it affect my daily life. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

My whole approach to life is based on my religion. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 25

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Although I believe in religion, other things are more important in life. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Sweet is to sour. As candy is to: *

o  lemon
o  sugar
o  leaves
Scale is to fish. As, feather is to: *

o  Bird
o  Dog
o  Whale
Muslims is to mosque. Christians is to: *

o  Church
o  Temple
o  University
Gender *

o  Male
o  Female
 26

Survey for Group B

Till Death Do Us Part

I always thought that dead people should have hats on. Now I can see that
they shouldn't. I can see that they have a head like wax and a handkerchief
tied around their jawbone. I can see that they have their mouth open a little
and that behind the purple lips you can see the stained and irregular teeth. I
can see that they keep their tongue bitten over to one side, thick and sticky, a
little darker than the color of their face, which is like the color of fingers
clutching a stick. I can see that they have their eyes open much wider than a
man's, anxious and wild, and that their skin seems to be made of tight damp
earth. I thought that a dead man would look like somebody quiet and asleep
and now I can see that it's just the opposite. I can see that he looks like
someone awake and in a rage after a fight.

*Required

Top of Form
Please briefly describe the emotions that the thought of your own
death arouses in you. *

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Jot down as specifically as you can what you think will happen as you
physically die and once you’re physically dead. *

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Match each world in the column to a similar word in the row. *

 27

Eiffel
Cub Lahore Ronaldo Ink Sugar Whale Ferrari Boat
Tower

Tea

Ship

Sea

Lion

Pakista
n

Paris

Footbal
l 

Pen

Car
 28

Carefully read the following passage from the Holy Quran.

Mention your favorite brand or a brand that you think describes you
best, purchase frequently and feel a personal connection to. *

Keep this brand in mind when answering the following questions.

I have a strong interest in purchasing this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Using this brand helps me express my personality. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
 29

Disagree Agree

To buy this brand would be like giving myself a present or treat. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I intend to keep buying this same brand for the foreseeable future. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Next time I shop for this brand, I would be willing to pay more for this
brand than other brands. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

This brand reflects who I am. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I feel a personal connection to this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I (can) use this brand to communicate who I am to other people. *

 30

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disgaree Agree

I really identify with people who use this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disgaree Agree

People who are like me use this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I feel a deep connection with others who use this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I admire people who own expensive homes, cars, and clothes. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disgaree Agree

The things I own say a lot about how well I am doing in life. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 31

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I like to own things that impress people. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I try to keep my life simple, as far as possessions are concerned. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I like a lot of luxury in my life. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I would be happier if I could afford to buy more things. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

It sometimes bothers me quite a bit that I cannot afford to buy all the
things I would like. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree
 32

I am frightened by the idea that all my thoughts and feelings will stop
when I am dead. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disgaree Agree

Thinking about my death makes me feel afraid. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

The very idea that my entire personality will disappear forever with my
death appalls me. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

The idea that I will never be able to think and experience anything after
my death disturbs me. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

The idea that my body will disappear after my death disturbs me. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I am self-conscious about the way I look and present myself. *

 33

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I usually worry about making a good impression. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I am concerned about what other people think of me. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

When engaged in an important task, most of my thoughts turn to bad

things that might happen. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

For me, avoiding failure has a greater emotional impact than the
emotional impact of achieving success. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

More often than not, I feel unsure of my abilities. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 34

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I often wish that I felt more certain of my strengths and weaknesses. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

As I begin an important activity I usually feel confident in my ability. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I enjoy reading about my religion. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

It doesn’t matter much what I believe as long as I am good. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

It is important for me to spend time in private thought and prayer. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I have often had a strong sense of God’s presence. *

 35

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I pray mainly to gain relief and protection. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I try hard to live my life according to my religious beliefs. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Prayer is for peace and happiness. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Although I am religious, I don’t let it affect my daily life. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

My whole approach to life is based on my religion. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 36

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Although I believe in religion, other things are more important in life. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Sweet is to sour. As candy is to: *

o  lemon
o  sugar
o  leaves
Scale is to fish. As, feather is to: *

o  Bird
o  Dog
o  Whale
Muslims is to mosque. Christians is to: *

o  Church
o  Temple
o  University
Gender *

o  Male
o  Female

Survey for Group C

Till Death To Us Part

Top of Form
 37

Gender *

 Male
 Female
Mention your favorite brand or a brand that you think describes
you best, purchase frequently and feel a personal connection
to. *
Keep this brand in mind when answering the following questions.

I have a strong interest in purchasing this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Using this brand helps me express my personality. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

To buy this brand would be like giving myself a present or

treat. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I intend to keep buying this same brand for the foreseeable

future. *
 38

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Next time I shop for this brand, I would be willing to pay more
for this brand than other brands. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

This brand reflects who I am. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I feel a personal connection to this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I (can) use this brand to communicate who I am to other

people. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disgaree Agree

I really identify with people who use this brand. *

 39

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disgaree Agree

People who are like me use this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I feel a deep connection with others who use this brand. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I admire people who own expensive homes, cars, and clothes. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disgaree Agree

The things I own say a lot about how well I am doing in life. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I like to own things that impress people. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 40

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I try to keep my life simple, as far as possessions are

concerned. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I like a lot of luxury in my life. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I would be happier if I could afford to buy more things. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

It sometimes bothers me quite a bit that I cannot afford to buy

all the things I would like. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I am frightened by the idea that all my thoughts and feelings will

stop when I am dead. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 41

Strongly Strongly
Disgaree Agree

Thinking about my death makes me feel afraid. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

The very idea that my entire personality will disappear forever

with my death appalls me. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

The idea that I will never be able to think and experience

anything after my death disturbs me. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

The idea that my body will disappear after my death disturbs

me. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I am self-conscious about the way I look and present myself. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 42

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I usually worry about making a good impression. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I am concerned about what other people think of me. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

When engaged in an important task, most of my thoughts turn

to bad things that might happen. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

For me, avoiding failure has a greater emotional impact than the
emotional impact of achieving success. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

More often than not, I feel unsure of my abilities. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 43

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I often wish that I felt more certain of my strengths and

weaknesses. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

As I begin an important activity I usually feel confident in my

ability. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I enjoy reading about my religion. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

It doesn’t matter much what I believe as long as I am good. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

It is important for me to spend time in private thought and

prayer. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 44

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I have often had a strong sense of God’s presence. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I pray mainly to gain relief and protection. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

I try hard to live my life according to my religious beliefs. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Prayer is for peace and happiness. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Although I am religious, I don’t let it affect my daily life. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree
 45

My whole approach to life is based on my religion. *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Although I believe in religion, other things are more important in

life. *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree

Sweet is to sour. As candy is to: *

o  lemon
o  sugar
o  leaves
Scale is to fish. As, feather is to: *

o  Bird
o  Dog
o  Whale
Muslims is to mosque. Christians is to: *

o  Church
o  Temple
o  University

Bottom of Form

Bottom of Form
 46

Bottom of Form