Jeff Greenberg

Wonder Makes Me Find Purpose

Jeff Greenberg developed a unique conceptual framework called terror management theory in order to address the psychological conflict between the self-preservation instinct and the realization that death is inevitable and unpredictable. The conflict results in terror, which then can be managed by embracing cultural beliefs or systems that counter the biological reality with forms of meaning and value. "TMT provides today's most comprehensive account of human motivation. TMT not only drives contemporary theory and research in social psychology, but also influences research in an array of scientific, scholarly and translational disciplines," according to board materials.

Greenberg's work has brought him many honors and awards. He is a fellow of both the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, and the recipient of a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association and of the Lifetime Career Award from the International Society for Self and Identity.

Greenberg has a history of significant professional accomplishments in research and scholarship, with more than 300 scientific publications, including three books, an additional three edited volumes and a successful textbook. The former president of the International Society for Self and Identity, Greenberg has worked as an editor for Social Psychology and has served on various committees for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. He also received a 2020 Career Contribution Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.