Existential Threat Fuels Worldview Defense, but not after Priming Autonomy Orientation

Do mortality cues increase state autonomy? The moderating roles of trait autonomy, flexibility, and curiosity

This study tested the effects of deep and subtle mortality cues on state autonomy, in addition to the moderating roles of trait autonomy, psychological flexibility, and curiosity. Australian undergraduate students (N = 442) self-reported on moderator variables before being randomly allocated to receive either deep mortality cues, subtle mortality cues, or a control task, and finally reported their state autonomy for life goals. Trait autonomy did not moderate the effect of mortality cues on state autonomy. However, for individuals high on psychological flexibility, any mortality cues led to increased state autonomy compared to the control. For individuals high on curiosity, there was some evidence that only deep mortality cues led to increased state autonomy. These findings help clarify the nature of growth outcomes (in terms of more authentic, autonomous motivation for life goals), and the personal characteristics that facilitate growth-oriented processing of death awareness.

Differences in Existential Perspectives as a Function of Having a Mystical-Type Experience

Prior research suggests that unique phenomenological experiences called “mystical-type experiences” (MTEs) have the potential to induce significant and persisting worldview changes. In this article, two studies add to this literature by using cross-sectional data from 837 and 1,086 participants, respectively, to investigate whether people who have had one of these experiences differ in predictable ways from those who have not on relevant existential variables. Specifically, we tested two novel hypotheses rooted in terror management theory, along with two predictions based on past research. In specific, the yes-MTE group was hypothesized to have (a) less fear of death and greater belief in death as a passage, (b) a more intrinsic and growth-oriented worldview, (c) fewer mental health symptoms, and (d) higher trait absorption. The data largely supported hypotheses 1, 2, and 4 while the results for hypothesis 3 were opposite of expectations, suggesting that clinical research with psychedelic-induced MTEs may not be generalizable to MTEs experienced outside the supportive therapeutic context.

Autonomy Support for Gender Expression and Managing Existential Concerns: An Initial Study Among Transgender Individuals

This pre-registered study was conducted online in March 2022 and was designed to (1) test whether individuals who identify as transgender report greater death-thought accessibility (DTA), greater symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS), lower meaning in life (MIL), and greater existential isolation (EI) compared to those who do not identify as transgender (i.e., cisgender); (2) examine whether autonomy support and autonomy frustration for gender expression differentially predict these outcomes among transgender individuals; and (3) examine whether perceptions of symbolic immortality mediate these relationships. Results found that transgender (vs. cisgender) participants reported higher DTA, greater PTS, lower MIL, and greater EI. Moreover, among transgender participants, autonomy frustration for gender expression predicted greater PTS, and autonomy support for gender expression predicted both greater MIL and lower EI. Finally, although the indirect effects through symbolic immortality were nonsignificant, autonomy support for gender expression appeared to predict perceptions of symbolic immortality. Implications for transgender people’s mental health and future research directions are discussed.

P-Curve analysis of autonomous and controlling motivation priming effects supports their evidential value

Extant literature consistently demonstrates the level of self-determination individuals experience or demonstrate during an activity can be primed. However, considering most of this literature comes from a period wherein p-hacking was prevalent (pre-2015), it may be that these effects reflect false positives. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether published literature showing autonomous and controlling motivation priming effects contain evidential value or not. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant priming research, while set rules determined which effects from each study would be used in p-curve analysis. Two p-curves including 33 effects each were constructed. P-curve analyses, even after excluding surprising effects (e.g., effects large in magnitude), demonstrated that literature showing autonomous and controlling motivation priming effects contained evidential value. The present findings support prior literature suggesting the effects of autonomous and controlling motivation primes exist at the population level. They also reduce (but do not eliminate) concerns from broader psychology that p-hacking may underlie reported effects.

The role of perceived level of threat, reactance proneness, political orientation, and coronavirus salience on health behavior intentions

OBJECTIVE

This pre-registered study was designed to test whether reminders of death and coronavirus would have similar or different effects on health behavior intentions concerning COVID-19 (e.g., mask wearing, social distancing) and whether the type of framing of these behaviors would moderate these effects.

DESIGN

The study utilized a 3 (threat: mortality salience vs. coronavirus reminder vs. control topic) x 3 (framing: autonomy-supportive vs. controlled vs. neutral) design. Measures of perceived threat of COVID-19, reactance proneness, and political orientation were included as individual differences.

RESULTS

Although the interaction between threat and framing conditions was not significant, the data revealed that (1) lower perceived threat of COVID-19 was associated with lower health behavior intentions to reduce the spread of the virus; (2) after an induction to express their thoughts and feelings about COVID-19, participants with low perceived threat of COVID-19 significantly increased their health intentions; (3) perceived threat of COVID-19 moderated the relationship between reactance proneness and health intentions, such that those high in reactance proneness reported lower intentions unless they had high perceptions of threat; and (4) politically conservative participants reported lower intentions to engage in healthy behaviors, and this relationship was mediated by their lower perceived threat of COVID-19.

Loss and lastingness? Further exploring the relationship between the death of a close other, belief in an everlasting soul, and terror management processes

This research explored the relationship between the death of a close other (DOCO) and terror management processes. In Study 1 (n = 810), university students who experienced DOCO (vs. not) reported higher university and American identification; greater self-esteem and meaning in life; lower death-thought accessibility; greater "death-as-passage" representations; and higher belief in an everlasting soul. We pre-registered Study 2 (n = 497) as an attempt to replicate these findings; although the patterns of means were consistent with Study 1, the tests did not reach statistical significance. However, analyses on the merged data (N = 1,307) supported the present theoretical analysis.