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J Lierenz MA Thesis 2023.pdf (1.48 MB)

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Dead Reckoning: Theory of Mind and the Perception of Human Remains

Lierenz, Julie
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1681344411176707

Abstract Details

2023, MA, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Anthropology.
Death is a salient and inevitable fact of life and as such, human cultural practices frequently interact with this subject in some way. Death also creates a complex form of material that is often referred to as a corpse, dead body, cadaver, or human remains. In his book “Religion Explained,” Pascal Boyer (2001) discusses how the perception of human remains is driven by several cognitive systems that produce complex and conflicting intuitions about human remains. Human remains possess cues that intuitively suggest that they share certain capabilities and mental states with the living while simultaneously possessing other cues that suggest that certain capabilities and mental states are no longer present. The dissonance created by the inherent qualities of human remains causes them to be perceived differently than currently living things or non-living inanimate objects. This thesis argues that the quality of cues present within human remains, i.e., the condition or preservation of human remains is one factor that impacts how the remains are perceived. I hypothesized that human remains that show a higher degree of preservation would be perceived to possess mental states more frequently than remains that have a lesser degree of preservation. Preservation is an important factor in the perception of human remains as it increases the recognizable characteristics that link the remains to a living state while the lack of preservation and the reduced number of recognizable characteristics highlight the fact that the individual is no longer alive. This thesis employed a survey-based experiment to examine the impact that preservation has on the perceived mental state capabilities of “well preserved” and “less preserved” remains. The results of this study support the hypothesis that remains that have a high degree of preservation are perceived to possess mental states more frequently than remains that have a lower degree of preservation.
Linda Spurlock, Dr (Advisor)
Aldo Cimino, Dr (Committee Member)
Richard Meindl, Dr (Committee Member)
57 p.
Cultural Anthropology
Theory of mind; Human Remains; Perception

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Lierenz, J. (2023). Dead Reckoning: Theory of Mind and the Perception of Human Remains [Master's thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1681344411176707

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Lierenz, Julie. Dead Reckoning: Theory of Mind and the Perception of Human Remains. 2023. Kent State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1681344411176707.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Lierenz, Julie. "Dead Reckoning: Theory of Mind and the Perception of Human Remains." Master's thesis, Kent State University, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1681344411176707

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1681344411176707
77
© 2023, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.