The anxiety-buffering function of close relationships: evidence that relationship commitment acts as a terror management mechanism.
Three studies examined the terror management function of romantic commitment. In Study 1 (N = 94), making mortality salient led to higher reports of romantic commitment on the Dimensions of Commitment Inventory (J. M. Adams & W. H. Jones, 1997) than control conditions. In Study 2 (N = 60), the contextual salience of thoughts about romantic commitment reduced the effects of mortality salience on judgments of social transgressions. In Study 3 (N = 100), the induction of thoughts about problems in romantic relationships led to higher accessibility of death-related thoughts than did the induction of thoughts about either academic problems or a neutral theme. The findings expand terror management theory, emphasizing the anxiety-buffering function of close relationships.
Florian
Victor
V
Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. floriav@mail.biu.ac.il
Mikulincer
Mario
M
Hirschberger
Gilad
G
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000533:Altruism; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control; D001293:Attitude to Death; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003643:Death; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005086:Existentialism / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007323:Instinct; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008149:Love; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009042:Motivation; D012649:Self Concept; D013534:Survival / Q000523:psychology