The Psychological Correlates of Decreased Death Anxiety After a Near-Death Experience: The Role of Self-Esteem, Mindfulness, and Death Representations

2019 ◽  
pp. 002216781989210
Author(s):  
Simone Bianco ◽  
Ines Testoni ◽  
Arianna Palmieri ◽  
Sheldon Solomon ◽  
Joshua Hart
Keyword(s):  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Fear Of Death ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Psychological Correlates ◽  
Death Experience ◽  
Near Death Experiences ◽  
Future Theory

Near-death experiences (NDE) are intense events that can have profound psychological consequences. Although decreased fear of death after an NDE is a well-documented phenomenon, it is unclear what psychological factors are associated with reduced death anxiety. In this study, grounded in terror management theory, we compared 102 people who had an NDE with 104 individuals who did not. Participants completed measures of death anxiety, self-esteem, mindfulness, and death representation. Results indicated that people who had an NDE had lower fear of death, higher self-esteem, greater mindfulness, and viewed death more as a transition rather than as absolute annihilation. Subsequent analyses found that NDE had a direct effect on death anxiety, and that the effect of NDE on death anxiety was also mediated by indirect effects on self-esteem and death representation. Implications of these findings are considered, limitations of the present study are acknowledged, and suggestions for future theory and research are proffered.

Role of Social Detachment in Coping With Death Anxiety

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saurabh Maheshwari ◽  
Tuheena Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiment ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Adaptive Strategy ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Coping With Death

The present research examines the strength of terror management theory in an indigenous Indian context of religious fair called Magh Mela. It explores how elderly Hindu people deal with death anxiety through practicing Kalpvas in Magh Mela. The research explores the role of social detachment and self-esteem in coping with terror of death. Study 1, a field experiment on 150 Kalpvasis (practitioners of Kalpvas) confirms the significant role of social detachment as an adaptive strategy for coping with death terror. The role of self-esteem did not emerge in the study. Study 2, another field experiment on 62 Kalpvasis confirms results of study 1. Significant role of years of Kalpvas on fear of death shows importance of the religious practices in managing terror related to death. The relation of terror management theory and death anxiety thus follows a different explanation for more indigenous contexts.

Online Interactions as a Terror Management Mechanism

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 30-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Partouche-Sebban
Keyword(s):  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Social Recognition ◽  
Online Interactions ◽  
Self Image ◽  
Facebook Use ◽  
The Relationship

Death is source of fascination and fear and the deny of death is at the basis of the human motivation. Terror Management Theory suggests that death awareness and the fundamental instinct of self-preservation create a potential for anxiety that individuals try to face by using different mechanisms oriented toward self-esteem striving. While existing research deals with the role of close relationships in the terror management, research on how online interactions may serve as a terror mechanism is lacking. This research seeks to examine the relationship between death anxiety and Facebook use. A quantitative study was conducted among 181 participants. Results show a positive relationship between death anxiety and Facebook use, as Facebook is a means to present a valuable self-image and gain social recognition. Contributions for social marketing in particular and limits of the study are discussed.

The Role of Death Anxiety and Self-Esteem in Suicide Attitudes

2021 ◽  
pp. 003022282110009
Author(s):  
Athena Kheibari ◽  
Julie Cerel
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Careful Examination ◽  
Thought Processes ◽  
Willingness To Intervene

The persistent stigmatization of suicide calls for a careful examination of the thought processes involved in perceptions of suicide. Hence, the present study is the first to apply terror management theory (TMT) and use experimental methods to examine whether reminders of death lead to increased stigma towards suicide and whether self-esteem moderates these stigmatized reactions. Consistent with the predicted effect of the death anxiety and self-esteem hypothesis, findings revealed that, for respondents with low self-esteem, thinking about their own death led to more stigma, less willingness to intervene, and allocated less money to a suicide prevention organization as compared to those who did not think about death. Findings from this study could have important implications for how we understand the psychological underpinnings of stigma and the role of death anxiety in hostile attitudes and decreased altruism – especially for mental health professionals working with individuals affected by suicide.

Collective in exile: Utilizing terror management theory to understand women’s wailing performance

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 523-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tova Gamliel
Keyword(s):  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Mortality Salience ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Community Context ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Adaptive Value ◽  
Traditional Performance

Although women’s wailing at death rites in various cultures typically amplifies mortality salience, this ritual phenomenon is absent in the research literature on terror management theory (TMT). This study explored Yemenite-Jewish wailing in Israel as an example of how a traditional performance manages death anxiety in a community context. Observations of wailing events and interviews with Yemenite-Jewish wailers and mourners in Israel were analyzed to understand respondents’ perceptions of the experience of wailing as well as the anxiety-oriented psychotherapeutic expertise involved. The findings are discussed to propose an alternative outlook on the intersubjective adaptive value of death anxiety. After describing TMT’s view on the role of culture in coping with death anxiety, I consider the extent to which Yemenite-Jewish wailing is consistent with the premises of TMT.

scholarly journals Impact of a near-death experience and religious conversion on the mental health of a criminal: case report and literature review

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla C. Braghetta ◽  
Glícia P. Santana ◽  
Quirino Cordeiro ◽  
Sergio P. Rigonatti ◽  
Giancarlo Lucchetti
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Case Report ◽  
Religious Conversion ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Present Case Report ◽  
Death Experience ◽  
Psychological Events ◽  
Near Death Experiences ◽  
Near Death Experience

OBJECTIVE: Near-death experiences have been defined as profound psychological events that may occur to a person while close to death or in a situation of extreme physical or emotional distress. These experiences seem to have an important effect on the patients’ mental health and may occur in several situations despite their cultural and religious beliefs. CASE DESCRIPTION: The present case report describes the positive impact of a near-death experience (Greyson scale > 7) followed by religious conversion on the mental health of a former prisoner. COMMENTS: Investigation of the role of near-death experiences by the scientific community could shed light on the coping mechanisms and moral/ethical transformations that take place in these individuals.

scholarly journals Post-Traumatic Growth Following Exposure to Memorial Reports of the 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake: The Moderating Roles of Self-Esteem and Long-Term PTSD Symptoms

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (18) ◽  
pp. 3239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhihao Ma ◽  
Yiwei Xia ◽  
Zhongxuan Lin
Keyword(s):  
Media Exposure ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake ◽  
The Relationship

Media exposure during a traumatic event has been found to be associated with negative psychological consequences. However, the post-disaster role of the mass media and the possible positive psychological consequences of media exposure has received less attention. In the present study, we hypothesized that exposure to memorial media reports would lead to improved post-traumatic growth (PTG). Further, we evaluated the moderating role of self-esteem and long-term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in the relationship between media exposure and PTG. Using a cross-sectional design, we surveyed individuals (N = 1000, mean age = 45.62, 43.5% male) who were recruited from disaster-affected communities ten years after the 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake which was the largest country-level trauma in the past three decades. Results revealed that individuals with lower self-esteem or lower PTSD symptoms would have higher psychological growth with greater exposure to memorial news reports. For individuals who reported having both high levels of self-esteem and PTSD symptoms, the relationship between media exposure and PTG was negative. These findings help present trauma in a new light, particularly regarding the rapid and instantaneous new coverage of the digital age. This study also has multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural, and clinical implications for the fields of psychology, public health, and communications.

In Defense of the Body: The Effect of Mortality Salience on Female Body Objectification

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelly Grabe ◽  
Clay Routledge ◽  
Alison Cook ◽  
Christie Andersen ◽  
Jamie Arndt
Keyword(s):  
Female Body ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Body ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Body Objectification ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Self Objectification

Previous research has illustrated the negative psychological consequences of female body objectification. The present study explores how female body objectification may serve as a defense against unconscious existential fears. Drawing from terror management theory, an experiment was designed to test the potential functionality of female body objectification. Men and women were primed to think about either their own mortality or an aversive control topic, and levels of body objectification were then assessed for both self- and other (women)-objectification. Findings supported the hypothesis that priming mortality would increase both self- and other-objectification among women, and self-objectification among those who derive self-esteem from their body. Implications for this research are discussed.

Self-Esteem

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey J. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Reciprocal Effects ◽  
Disability Sport ◽  
Mastery Experiences ◽  
History Of ◽  
Multidimensional Models

Self-esteem has a long history in psychological research and sport psychology researchers are often interested in whether sport builds self-esteem. This chapter traces the history of self-esteem research in sport and provides definitions of and distinguishes between self-esteem and self-concept, and unidimensional and multidimensional models of self-esteem. The reciprocal effects model of self-esteem is examined, which suggests mastery experiences and self-esteem both exert influences on each other and can be viewed as causes and effects of each other. Antecedents of self-esteem, such as feelings of mastery and favorable judgments of worth from significant others, are also discussed, along with developmental aspects of self-esteem. Related areas of research that might be relevant to disability and disability sport are also discussed, such as terror management theory, the role of discounting and devaluing in psychological disengagement, how self-esteem might act as a mediator, and metacognitive properties of self-esteem.

Relationship of Fear of Death and Level of Self-Esteem in College Students

1978 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 419-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen F. Davis ◽  
Dan A. Martin ◽  
Cean T. Wilee ◽  
James W. Voorhees
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Black Males ◽  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Fear Of Death ◽  
Black And White ◽  
White Males ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Relationship Of

Self-esteem and death anxiety instruments were administered to a total of 383 undergraduates; black and white, males and females were included in the sample. Consistent with previous data, higher scores on death anxiety were shown by female subjects. Black males displayed significantly higher self-esteem scores. An analysis of subgroups low and high in self-esteem produced support for a negative relationship between level of self-esteem and death anxiety.

The Role of Close Relationships in Terror Management: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Plusnin ◽  
Christopher A. Pepping ◽  
Emiko S. Kashima
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Close Relationships ◽  
Terror Management Theory ◽  
Terror Management ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Management Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Moderating Factors ◽  
Relational Outcomes

Terror management theory outlines how humans seek self-esteem and worldview validation to manage death-related anxiety. Accumulating evidence reveals that close relationships serve a similar role. However, to date, there has been no synthesis of the literature that delineates when close relationships buffer mortality concerns, under what conditions, on which specific outcomes, and for whom. This systematic review presents over two decades of research to address these questions. Findings from 73 reviewed studies revealed that close relationships serve an important role in buffering death-related anxiety. A range of dispositional and situational moderating factors influence either the activation or inhibition of relational strivings to manage heightened death awareness, the most influential being attachment, gender, and relationship-contingent self-esteem. These findings were integrated into an overarching model that highlights some of the conditions under which mortality salience (MS) influences relational outcomes. We conclude by highlighting a range of theoretical and methodological concerns to be addressed by future research.

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