title: Increases in generative concern among older adults following reminders of mortality.
abstract: According to terror management theory, people are motivated to protect themselves from the potential for anxiety resulting from awareness of mortality. It was hypothesized that increased concern for future generations, and the symbolic immortality this produces, may be particularly important to older adults when awareness of their mortality is increased. In two studies, older and younger adults' generative concern was examined following mortality or control primes. As hypothesized, older adults' generative concern and preference for pro-social over pro-self generativity were greater following reminders of mortality, whereas neither effect was observed among younger adults. For both studies, age differences were only observed when mortality salience was heightened; older and younger adults' generative concern did not differ in control conditions. Results provide support for the hypothesis that younger and older adults differ in their responses to increased awareness of mortality and suggest that older adults respond to death reminders by adopting a more pro-social generative orientation.
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maxfield
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pyszczynski
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Weise
authors.forename: Spee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kosloff
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soenke
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Abeyta
authors.forename: Jamin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blatter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D000075384:Neuroticism; D010551:Personality; D055815:Young Adult