From the Grave to the Cradle: Evidence That Mortality Salience Engenders a Desire for Offspring

Wisman, Arnaud, Goldenberg, Jamie L (2005) From the Grave to the Cradle: Evidence That Mortality Salience Engenders a Desire for Offspring. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89 (1). pp. 46-61. ISSN 0022-3514. E-ISSN 1939-1315. (doi:10.1037/0022-3514.89.1.46)

Abstract

On the basis of terror management theory, the authors hypothesized that reminders of mortality (mortality salience) should promote the desire for offspring to the extent that it does not conflict with other self-relevant worldviews that also serve to manage existential concerns. In 3 studies, men, but not women, desired more children after mortality salience compared with various control conditions. In support of the authors’ hypothesis that women’s desire for offspring was inhibited as a function of concerns about career success, Study 3 showed that career strivings moderated the effect of mortality salience on a desire for offspring for female participants only; furthermore, Study 4 revealed that when the compatibility of having children and a career was made salient, female participants responded to mortality salience with an increased number of desired children. Taken together, the findings suggest that a desire for offspring can function as a terror management defense mechanism.

Item Type:	Article
DOI/Identification number:	10.1037/0022-3514.89.1.46
Uncontrolled keywords:	mortality salience; desire for offspring; gender; procreation; existential concerns
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Psychology > Social Psychology
Depositing User:	Arnaud Wisman
Date Deposited:	26 Feb 2016 13:52 UTC
Last Modified:	29 May 2019 17:02 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/54302 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)