Death anxiety and sexual risk-taking: different manifestations of the process of defense |
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Authors: | Gary G. Ford Jennifer J. Ewing Angela M. Ford Nikki L. Ferguson Wendy Y. Sherman |
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Affiliation: | (1) Stephen F. Austin State University, USA;(2) Department of Psychology, Stephen F. Austin State University, P. O. Box 13046, 75962 Nacogdoches, TX |
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Abstract: | College students(n = 162) completed measures of death anxiety and sexual risk-taking, with a thought listing procedure in-between. Those who completed the death anxiety measure first (Death Salient condition) reportedgreater willingness to engage in high-risk sexual behavior than the Non-Death Salient group. This result was consistent with the hypothesis that evoking death anxiety would produce denial-based defensive activity. Also, Death Salient participants reporting more death thoughts were lower on risk-taking, as predicted. Interestingly, Death Salient participants reporting stressful thoughts about issues unrelated to personal mortality (displacement) were also less willing to engage in high-risk sexual behavior. The results are discussed in relation to a new, avowal-based model of the process of psychological defense. |
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