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The current investigation examined terror management defenses employed by Muslim Americans and moderating effects of acculturation and religiosity. Associations between death salience and worldview defense were predicted to vary according to acculturation and religious commitment. Study 1 measured acculturation and reactions to traditional or modern Muslim targets. Study 2 assessed religiosity and acculturation effects on reactions to a worldview-threatening essay. Against expectations, heightened mortality salience did not result in the typical increase in worldview defense, nor was there a moderating effect of acculturation or religiosity. Furthermore, the relationship between mortality salience and worldview defense was not moderated by acculturation or religiosity. Thus, when confronted with existential threats, Muslim Americans may not separate their religious and secular worldviews to defend against mortality concerns. Although the pattern of results was unexpected, this study provides novel information suggesting that Muslim Americans may handle mortality salience in ways not yet revealed by previous TMT studies.

As interfaith romantic relationships become more common, it is important to understand how couples can effectively navigate their religious differences and promote positive relationship outcomes. A critical strategy to this end is communication, yet the existing literature provides limited evidence to understand how the content of religious conversations affects couples’ outcomes. This dissertation explores communication about religion in interfaith relationships and positive relational approaches to religion that may increase relationship quality.First, I conducted a mixed methods pilot study, finding that interviewees in interfaith couples promoted relationship quality, in part, by addressing their religious differences and recognizing their religious similarities. To understand how focuses on religious similarities versus religious differences may uniquely impact relationship outcomes, I conducted two follow up studies. Study 2 experimentally compared relationship outcomes between individuals in interfaith relationships who listed either their partnership’s religious similarities or differences. Then, Study 3 explored interpersonal discussion about religious similarities/differences to understand associations between religious communication and relationship outcomes.For both Studies 2 and 3, I expected that focusing on religious similarities would increase participants’ sense of shared reality in their relationships, thereby increasing their relationship satisfaction. While in Study 2 I expected that a focus on differences would increase relational uncertainty and thereby decrease relationship satisfaction, I expected that increased interpersonal conversations about these differences (as measured in Study 3) would predict higher satisfaction through decreased uncertainty.While I found that satisfaction was positively associated with shared reality and negatively associated with uncertainty, I did not find associations between religious focus (similarities versus differences) on any of these relationship variables. Although my hypotheses were not supported, exploratory analyses revealed that additional relational and individual differences may moderate associations between religious variables and relationship outcomes. Specifically, perceived religiosity differences, mutual understanding, mutual respect, mutual acceptance, and mutual listening may be key factors in interfaith couples’ religious navigation. Together, these studies provide foundational evidence toward positive approaches to religion and communication that may benefit those in interfaith romantic relationships.

The current investigation examined terror management defenses employed by Muslim Americans and moderating effects of acculturation and religiosity. Associations between death salience and worldview defense were predicted to vary according to acculturation and religious commitment. Study 1 measured acculturation and reactions to traditional or modern Muslim targets. Study 2 assessed religiosity and acculturation effects on reactions to a worldviewthreatening essay. Against expectations, heightened mortality salience did not result in the typical increase in worldview defense, nor was there a moderating effect of acculturation or religiosity. Furthermore, the relationship between mortality salience and worldview defense was not moderated by acculturation or religiosity. Thus, when confronted with existential threats, Muslim Americans may not separate their religious and secular worldviews to defend against mortality concerns. Although the pattern of results was unexpected, this study provides novel information suggesting that Muslim Americans may handle mortality salience in ways not yet revealed by previous TMT studies.