Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? Mortality Salience, Death-Thought Accessibility, and Self-Forgiveness

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 341-373
Author(s):  
John M. McConnell
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Self Forgiveness ◽  
Death Thought Accessibility

Towards an Anxiety-Buffer Disruption Approach to Depression: Attachment Anxiety and Worldview Threat Heighten Death-Thought Accessibility and Depression-Related Feelings

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 238-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Mikulincer ◽  
Uri Lifshin ◽  
Phillip R. Shaver
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Current Level ◽  
Death Thought Accessibility

Introduction: In two studies, we tested an anxiety-buffer disruption approach to depression, examining the effects of attachment insecurities, worldview threat, and death concerns on depression-related feelings. Method: In both studies, Israeli undergraduates reported on their attachment insecurities (anxiety, avoidance), were exposed to a worldview threat or a no-threat condition, and then rated their current level of depression-related feelings. Results: In Study 1 (N = 124), we also measured death-thought accessibility and found that a worldview threat (versus no-threat) heightened death-thought accessibility and depression feelings only among participants scoring relatively high on attachment anxiety, and that death-thought accessibility mediated the effects of worldview threat and attachment anxiety on feelings of depression. In Study 2 (N = 240), we randomly assigned participants to a mortality salience or a control condition and found that heightened death concerns caused more depression only when a worldview threat was present and participants' attachment anxiety was high. Discussion: The roles that disruption of anxiety buffering systems and death-related concerns play in depression were discussed.

scholarly journals Exploring the role of humor in the management of existential anxiety

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 433-448
Author(s):  
Jessica Morgan ◽  
Rebecca Smith ◽  
Amrik Singh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Beneficial Effect ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Existential Anxiety ◽  
Induction Condition ◽  
Main Effects ◽  
Death Thought Accessibility

Abstract The current study addressed a topic that has both theoretical and applied importance, by examining the potential existential anxiety-buffering function of humor. Participants (N = 556; 55% female; M age = 37 years) completed a measure of trait coping humor before being randomly assigned to a mortality salience condition and a humor induction condition and then completing a measure of death-thought accessibility. ANOVA revealed main effects of trait coping humor, mortality salience and humor induction on death-thought accessibility in the expected directions. Coping humor interacted with mortality salience (F(1,439) = 14.47, p < 0.01) showing that low coping humor participants were more affected by the mortality salience manipulation. Coping humor also interacted with humor induction (F(1,439) = 8.94, p < 0.01) showing that low coping humor participants were more affected by the humor induction. Findings suggests that whilst trait coping humor appears to buffer the effects of mortality salience, those low in trait coping humor may benefit the most from interventions aimed at reducing existential anxiety via humor. The apparent beneficial effect of humor induction for individuals low in coping humor holds a promise of advancing our understanding of existential threat and, ultimately, providing a basis for interventions to improve mental health.

Using the Past to Promote a Peaceful Future

2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 339-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clay Routledge ◽  
Jacob Juhl ◽  
Andrew Abeyta ◽  
Christina Roylance
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Death Thought Accessibility ◽  
Willingness To Engage ◽  
Existential Concerns

Recent research has demonstrated that nostalgia is a source of meaning in life that people utilize when managing existential concerns. The current studies further explored the existential function of nostalgia by testing the prediction that nostalgia decreases ideologically extreme defenses against existential threat (i.e., self-sacrifice on behalf of one’s nation or religion). Results supported this hypothesis. In Study 1, mortality salience increased willingness to engage in nationalistic self-sacrifice for those low, but not high, in trait nostalgia. In Study 2, manipulated nostalgia mitigated the relationship between death-thought accessibility and willingness to engage in religious self-sacrifice.

When Death Is Compelling

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 352-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Schindler ◽  
Marc-André Reinhard
Keyword(s):  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Hypothetical Scenario ◽  
The Face ◽  
Scenario Study ◽  
Norm Of Reciprocity

Abstract. Research on terror management theory has found evidence that people under mortality salience strive to live up to activated social norms and values. Recently, research has shown that mortality salience also increases adherence to the norm of reciprocity. Based on this, in the current paper we investigated the idea that mortality salience influences persuasion strategies that are based on the norm of reciprocity. We therefore assume that mortality salience should enhance compliance for a request when using the door-in-the-face technique – a persuasion strategy grounded in the norm of reciprocity. In a hypothetical scenario (Study 1), and in a field experiment (Study 2), applying the door-in-the-face technique enhanced compliance in the mortality salience condition compared to a control group.

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