Todd J Williams
Biographic Data
| ID | 5450427 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Todd J Williams |
| GIVEN NAMES | Todd J |
| FAMILY NAME | Williams |
| SIGNATURE | WILLIAMS T J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Grand Valley State University |
| ORCID | 0009-0001-5776-5421 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 9 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 56 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 9 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Beliefs influence argumentative essay writing
Effects of Text Content and Beliefs on Informal Argument Evaluation
We examined the influence of reading a one-sided text on informal argument evaluation. After reporting initial beliefs in a separate online prescreening, subjects with polarized beliefs read a belief-consistent or -inconsistent text about the benefits of spanking children as a means of discipline. After reading, subjects reported their beliefs and judged the soundness of a series of one-sentence informal arguments that made belief-consistent or -…
Worldview Accommodation
Although numerous studies have examined compensatory reactions to ideological threats such as derogation, relatively little research has focused on alternative forms of defense. One such alternative, termed accommodation, involves accepting and incorporating parts of the threatening information into existing belief-structures. The present research employs a terror management framework to assess the effects of worldview threat, death-thoughts, and…
Following and Resisting Body Image Ideals in Advertising
Extrinsic contingency focus reflects people's tendency to derive self-esteem by meeting socially (versus personally) defined standards. Three studies examined the relationship between extrinsic contingency focus (ECF) and responses to social ideals. The results of Studies 1 and 2 showed that exposure to advertisements that contained idealized body images led high-ECF participants to engage in behaviors directed toward the attainment of the ideal.…
Personality Ratings Are Influenced by Religious Stereotype and Ingroup Bias
A religious prosociality stereotype exists such that religiosity and prosociality are presumed to be positively associated, as evidenced by proxy measures such as personality traits. However, studies using self- and peer-ratings of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness have not simultaneously controlled for the religiosity of the participant and the target. One hundred and sixty students completed measures of religiosity in a prescreening survey. L…
The effects of existential threat on reading comprehension of worldview affirming and disconfirming information
Terror management theory posits that cultural worldviews buffer people from thoughts and concerns about death. In support of this claim, numerous studies have shown that mortality salience (MS) increases an individual's motivation to uphold and defend important cultural worldviews. We hypothesized that the motivation to defend cultural worldviews following MS would also enhance people's ability to comprehend worldview affirming (vs. disconfirming…
The moderating role of extrinsic contingency focus on reactions to threat
Over the last decade a number of theorists have advanced a multifaceted conceptualization of self‐esteem. Central to this idea is the notion that self‐esteem is less secure and more defensive when individuals are more focused on extrinsic contingencies. To test the hypothesis that individuals with high dispositional levels of extrinsic contingency focus (ECF) are insecure and respond defensively to threat, we developed a measure of ECF and conduc…
Evidence for the DTA hypothesis II
Is death really the worm at the core? Converging evidence that worldview threat increases death-thought accessibility
According to terror management theory, if the cultural worldview protects people from thoughts about death, then weakening this structure should increase death-thought accessibility (DTA). Five studies tested this DTA hypothesis. Study 1 showed that threatening Canadian participants' cultural values (vs. those of another culture) increased DTA on a word-fragment completion task. Study 2 showed that when participants could dismiss the threat, DTA …
Evidence for the DTA hypothesis II
Is death really the worm at the core? Converging evidence that worldview threat increases death-thought accessibility
According to terror management theory, if the cultural worldview protects people from thoughts about death, then weakening this structure should increase death-thought accessibility (DTA). Five studies tested this DTA hypothesis. Study 1 showed that threatening Canadian participants' cultural values (vs. those of another culture) increased DTA on a word-fragment completion task. Study 2 showed that when participants could dismiss the threat, DTA …
Effects of Text Content and Beliefs on Informal Argument Evaluation
We examined the influence of reading a one-sided text on informal argument evaluation. After reporting initial beliefs in a separate online prescreening, subjects with polarized beliefs read a belief-consistent or -inconsistent text about the benefits of spanking children as a means of discipline. After reading, subjects reported their beliefs and judged the soundness of a series of one-sentence informal arguments that made belief-consistent or -…
The effects of existential threat on reading comprehension of worldview affirming and disconfirming information
Terror management theory posits that cultural worldviews buffer people from thoughts and concerns about death. In support of this claim, numerous studies have shown that mortality salience (MS) increases an individual's motivation to uphold and defend important cultural worldviews. We hypothesized that the motivation to defend cultural worldviews following MS would also enhance people's ability to comprehend worldview affirming (vs. disconfirming…
The moderating role of extrinsic contingency focus on reactions to threat
Over the last decade a number of theorists have advanced a multifaceted conceptualization of self‐esteem. Central to this idea is the notion that self‐esteem is less secure and more defensive when individuals are more focused on extrinsic contingencies. To test the hypothesis that individuals with high dispositional levels of extrinsic contingency focus (ECF) are insecure and respond defensively to threat, we developed a measure of ECF and conduc…
Personality Ratings Are Influenced by Religious Stereotype and Ingroup Bias
A religious prosociality stereotype exists such that religiosity and prosociality are presumed to be positively associated, as evidenced by proxy measures such as personality traits. However, studies using self- and peer-ratings of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness have not simultaneously controlled for the religiosity of the participant and the target. One hundred and sixty students completed measures of religiosity in a prescreening survey. L…
Is death really the worm at the core? Converging evidence that worldview threat increases death-thought accessibility
According to terror management theory, if the cultural worldview protects people from thoughts about death, then weakening this structure should increase death-thought accessibility (DTA). Five studies tested this DTA hypothesis. Study 1 showed that threatening Canadian participants' cultural values (vs. those of another culture) increased DTA on a word-fragment completion task. Study 2 showed that when participants could dismiss the threat, DTA …
Evidence for the DTA hypothesis II
The moderating role of extrinsic contingency focus on reactions to threat
Over the last decade a number of theorists have advanced a multifaceted conceptualization of self‐esteem. Central to this idea is the notion that self‐esteem is less secure and more defensive when individuals are more focused on extrinsic contingencies. To test the hypothesis that individuals with high dispositional levels of extrinsic contingency focus (ECF) are insecure and respond defensively to threat, we developed a measure of ECF and conduc…
The effects of existential threat on reading comprehension of worldview affirming and disconfirming information
Terror management theory posits that cultural worldviews buffer people from thoughts and concerns about death. In support of this claim, numerous studies have shown that mortality salience (MS) increases an individual's motivation to uphold and defend important cultural worldviews. We hypothesized that the motivation to defend cultural worldviews following MS would also enhance people's ability to comprehend worldview affirming (vs. disconfirming…
Following and Resisting Body Image Ideals in Advertising
Extrinsic contingency focus reflects people's tendency to derive self-esteem by meeting socially (versus personally) defined standards. Three studies examined the relationship between extrinsic contingency focus (ECF) and responses to social ideals. The results of Studies 1 and 2 showed that exposure to advertisements that contained idealized body images led high-ECF participants to engage in behaviors directed toward the attainment of the ideal.…
Personality Ratings Are Influenced by Religious Stereotype and Ingroup Bias
A religious prosociality stereotype exists such that religiosity and prosociality are presumed to be positively associated, as evidenced by proxy measures such as personality traits. However, studies using self- and peer-ratings of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness have not simultaneously controlled for the religiosity of the participant and the target. One hundred and sixty students completed measures of religiosity in a prescreening survey. L…
Worldview Accommodation
Although numerous studies have examined compensatory reactions to ideological threats such as derogation, relatively little research has focused on alternative forms of defense. One such alternative, termed accommodation, involves accepting and incorporating parts of the threatening information into existing belief-structures. The present research employs a terror management framework to assess the effects of worldview threat, death-thoughts, and…
Effects of Text Content and Beliefs on Informal Argument Evaluation
We examined the influence of reading a one-sided text on informal argument evaluation. After reporting initial beliefs in a separate online prescreening, subjects with polarized beliefs read a belief-consistent or -inconsistent text about the benefits of spanking children as a means of discipline. After reading, subjects reported their beliefs and judged the soundness of a series of one-sentence informal arguments that made belief-consistent or -…
Beliefs influence argumentative essay writing
Psychology (9 works) · Social Psychology (9 works) · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion (5 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (5 works) · Social Psychology (5 works) · Linguistics (4 works) · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology (3 works) · Terror management theory (3 works) · Anxiety (2 works) · Clinical Psychology (2 works)