The Effects of Mortality Salience on the Acceptance of Expert Recommendations: Focused on Doctors’ Recommendations at Hospitals

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to examine how mortality salience affects consumers’ acceptance of expert recommendations. According to the terror management theory (TMT), individuals deal with fear of death by endorsing a cultural worldview. Based on TMT, we propose that when mortality is salient, people would intend to accept recommendations of experts whose authority is acknowledged by culture. This study especially focuses on recommendations of doctors who are generally regarded as experts with authority. The results from a study conducted at a university hospital indicate that patients who read death-related stimuli express higher intention to accept recommendations of doctors.