Date of Award
2007
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Submission Date
October 2026
Abstract
Terror Management Theory posits that induced death-related cognitions lead to anxiety. To relieve anxiety, individuals may bolster their self-esteem or current cultural worldviews. The current study hypothesizes that induced thoughts of social connectedness will be an anxiety-buffering mechanism that will reduce the need to defend one's worldview. Participants watched one of two films which were intended to either induce social connectedness or have no effect on the individual. Each participant watched a short film clip then completed measures pertaining to moral transgressions, affiliative and agentic extraversion, self-esteem, and positive and negative affect. Females who were high on affiliation were found to defend their worldviews more often than males high on affiliation following the social connectedness induction. The experimental (42-Up) condition showed lower levels of punitiveness than the control (K-Web) condition.
Recommended Citation
Rosenzweig, Garreth., "From mortality to connectedness" (2007). Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2003 - 2009. 56.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_honors_1/56
Extent
iv, 57 leaves : ill. (some col.).
Identifier
314394247
Comments
by Garreth Rosenzweig.