Citation

Cai W, Cai H, Li H. Death Stud. 2022; 46(2): 434-441.

Affiliation

Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, P. R. China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/07481187.2020.1740828

PMID

32180539

Abstract

This research examined whether death anxiety motivated individuals to pursue a higher social class. Two studies were conducted to provide supporting evidence. Study 1 (n = 1847) showed that higher chronic death anxiety was associated with stronger motivation to pursue a higher social class. Study 2 (n = 135) showed that situationally induced death anxiety augmented the pursuit of a higher social class and was associated with choosing lower criteria for joining a higher social class. Together, the two studies provided both experimental and correlational evidence for the motivational significance of death anxiety in pursuing a higher social class.

Language: en