Self-consciousness and death cognitions from a terror management perspective.
Two studies explored the connection between self-consciousness and death cognitions. In Study 1 (n = 56), a positive association was found between accessibility of death-related thoughts and the ruminative dimension of self-consciousness. In Study 2 (n = 212), a mortality salience induction led to higher validation of cultural worldviews (a more severe perception of social transgressions) than a control group, but only among individuals with lower self-consciousness, whereas participants characterized by higher self-consciousness did not make increased use of this cultural anxiety buffer. Rather, their naturally heightened death awareness led them to react to social transgressors in a neutral condition in the way usually found only after a mortality salience induction. Gender could not alternatively account for these findings. The results are explained in terms of terror management theory. It is suggested that a high level of self-consciousness may serve as an internal death reminder, leading to greater cultural worldview validation on a regular basis.
The Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. taubman@mail.biu.ac.il
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Taubman-Ben-Ari
The Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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Noy
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003243:Consciousness / Q000502:physiology*; D003643:Death; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult