About The Author
Jamie Arndt
Dr. Jamie Arndt is a psychological researcher who finds much excitement in the collaborative process of addressing significant questions about fundamental aspects of the human condition. Following an existential tradition influenced by writers such as Otto Rank and Ernest Becker, he is particularly intrigued by how awareness of life's transience affects social behaviors and how the pursuit of meaning and value can shield individuals from deep-seated insecurities.
His research interests include topics such as aggression, prejudice, stereotypes, political judgments, self-esteem processes, depression, consumer motivations, legal issues, parental and interpersonal attachment, physiological arousal and affect, self-awareness, cultural identification and disidentification, and the psychological landscape of nostalgia. He has examined these topics while also seeking to understand the cognitive structures that underlie psychological defenses people employ to guard against both conscious and unconscious awareness of death, as well as the interplay between defensive processes and motives for creativity, growth, and self-enrichment.
Jeff Greenberg
Dr. Jeff Greenberg is a Regents Professor Emeritus at the University of Arizona, specializing in psychology with a focus on social and existential psychology. His research interests include terror management theory, existential isolation, and mystical and psychedelic experiences. He examines topics related to self-esteem, prejudice, aggression, political attitudes, self-awareness, and depression. Dr. Greenberg holds a joint appointment with the Communication department.
Mark Landau
Dr. Mark Landau, a Psychology Professor at KU, earned his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 2007. His research focuses on two main themes in social psychology: the existential motives behind thought and behavior, and the cognitive mechanisms for understanding abstract social concepts. He shows how existential concerns, like mortality denial, drive people to seek meaning in their lives. Inspired by conceptual metaphor theories, he illustrates how mappings between unrelated concepts shape understanding and judgment. Dr. Landau has received several awards, including the APA’s Early Career Award and the SPSP’s Theoretical Innovation Prize. His research on metaphor theory and political attitudes was funded by the National Science Foundation, and he also received support from the National Institute of Mental Health for studying metaphors in health communication. He has authored or co-edited three books, including Conceptual Metaphor in Social Psychology: The Poetics of Everyday Life, and co-founded the International Society for the Science of Existential Psychology, where he serves as Vice President.
Toni Schmader
Dr. Toni Schmader earned a PhD in social psychology in 1999 from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a summa cum laude Bachelor of Arts from Washington and Jefferson College. In 2010, she became a Canada Research Chair to study the interplay of negative stereotypes, self-esteem, emotion, motivation, and performance. Her research found that women may inhibit their performance and that girls are more likely to believe they can work outside the home if their fathers do traditional domestic chores.
