Research by Cohen and colleagues found that participants were more likely to endorse a hypothetical candidate with a charismatic leadership style when:

A) the thought of an upcoming exam was salient.
B) the thought of their own mortality was salient.
C) they had recently experienced a threat to their self-esteem.
D) the candidate also had elements of a task-oriented style.

Question

Danielle Banda · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : B, Explanation :  Cohen and colleagues found that participants were more likely to endorse a hypothetical candidate with a charismatic leadership style when the thought of their own mortality was salient (i.e. they were asked to contemplate their own death before evaluating the candidate). This suggests that individuals may be more attracted to charismatic leaders when they are seeking a sense of meaning or purpose in their lives, or when they are feeling vulnerable or uncertain about their own mortality. None of the other options (A, C, or D) were found to influence participants' endorsements of the charismatic leader.

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