Cancer and the threat of death: the cognitive dynamics of death-thought suppression and its impact on behavioral health intentions.
Five studies examined the cognitive association between thoughts of cancer and thoughts of death and their implication for screening intentions. Study 1 found that explicit contemplation of cancer did not increase death-thought accessibility. In support of the hypothesis that this reflects suppression of death-related thoughts, Study 2 found that individuals who thought about cancer exhibited elevated death-thought accessibility under high cognitive load, and Study 3 demonstrated that subliminal primes of the word cancer led to increased death-thought accessibility. Study 4 revealed lower levels of death-thought accessibility when perceived vulnerability to cancer was high, once again suggesting suppression of death-related thoughts in response to conscious threats associated with cancer. Study 5 extended the analysis by finding that after cancer salience, high cognitive load, which presumably disrupts suppression of the association between cancer and death, decreased cancer-related self-exam intentions. Theoretical and practical implications for understanding terror management, priming and suppression, and responses to cancer are discussed.
Arndt
Jamie
J
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211, USA. arndtj@missouri.edu
Cook
Alison
A
Goldenberg
Jamie L
JL
Cox
Cathy R
CR
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001293:Attitude to Death; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D005608:Free Association; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008923:Missouri; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D013360:Subliminal Stimulation