Older Adults and the Fear of Death: The Protective Function of Generativity.
Terror management theory (TMT) posits that cultural worldviews function to allay concerns about human mortality. Preliminary research with older adults has indicated that seniors do not respond to death reminders in the same way as their younger counterparts. The purpose of the current study was to test a developmentally relevant construct that may buffer death anxiety in later life. It was hypothesized that Erikson's concept of generativity may encompass death-denying properties for older adults. One hundred and seventy-nine seniors were recruited to determine if subtle mortality salience inductions would lead participants to rate their own generativity as higher than after a blatant induction, or no induction, after controlling for pre-induction generativity. As expected, participants exposed to subtle death primes rated themselves as having higher levels of generativity than the other two groups after co-varying pre-induction generativity. Explanations are discussed in light of the literatures on TMT and generativity.
University of Alberta,Department of Educational Psychology.
Rochelle J
RJ
Major
University of Alberta,Department of Educational Psychology.
William J
WJ
Whelton
University of Alberta,Department of Psychology.
Jeff
J
Schimel
University of Regina,Department of Psychology.
Donald
D
Sharpe
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001293:Attitude to Death; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology
adultes âgés (aînés); aging; développement psychosocial; fear of death; generativity; générativité; older adults; peur de la mort; psychosocial development; terror management theory; théorie de la gestion de terreur; vieillissment