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Silveira S, Graupmann V, Agthe M, Gutyrchik E, Blautzik J, Demirçapa I, Berndt A, Pöppel E, Frey D, Reiser M, Hennig-Fast K. Existential neuroscience: effects of mortality salience on the neurocognitive processing of attractive opposite-sex faces. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2014; 9:1601-7. [PMID: 24078106 PMCID: PMC4187282 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nst157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2013] [Revised: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Being reminded of the inherently finite nature of human existence has been demonstrated to elicit strivings for sexual reproduction and the formation and maintenance of intimate relationships. Recently, it has been proposed that the perception of potential mating partners is influenced by mortality salience. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the neurocognitive processing of attractive opposite-sex faces after priming with death-related words for heterosexual men and women. Significant modulations of behavioral and neural responses were found when participants were requested to decide whether they would like to meet the presented person. Men were more in favor of meeting attractive women after being primed with death-related words compared to a no-prime condition. Increased neural activation could be found under mortality salience in the left anterior insula and the adjacent lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) for both men and women. As previously suggested, we believe that the lPFC activation reflects an approach-motivated defense mechanism to overcome concerns that are induced by being reminded of death and dying. Our results provide insight on a neurocognitive level that approach motivation in general, and mating motivation in particular is modulated by mortality salience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarita Silveira
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Verena Graupmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Agthe
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Evgeny Gutyrchik
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Janusch Blautzik
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Idil Demirçapa
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Berndt
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Ernst Pöppel
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Dieter Frey
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Maximilian Reiser
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Kristina Hennig-Fast
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Human Science Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
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