Premium
Romantic love versus reproduction opportunities: Disentangling the contributions of different anxiety buffers under conditions of existential threat
Author(s) -
Hoppe Annedore,
Fritsche Immo,
Koranyi Nicolas
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
european journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1099-0992
pISSN - 0046-2772
DOI - 10.1002/ejsp.2322
Subject(s) - psychology , romance , mortality salience , terror management theory , existentialism , salience (neuroscience) , social psychology , anxiety , offspring , developmental psychology , affect (linguistics) , pregnancy , psychoanalysis , cognitive psychology , communication , philosophy , epistemology , psychiatry , biology , genetics
Romantic relationships and offspring are discussed as anxiety buffers in terror management processes. We examined the relationship between these possible buffers and tested whether romantic relationships reduce existential threat due to reproduction opportunities or if they represent a distinct anxiety buffer. Contrary to our initial expectations, thinking about a positive romantic relationship without (vs. with) own children increased partner affect (Study 1) and commitment (Study 2) and decreased punishment intentions (Study 2) after mortality salience. These effects were mediated by participants' desire for romantic love. Furthermore, thinking about positive nonparental (vs. parental) romantic relationships lowered death‐thought accessibility (Study 3). Together, these findings suggest that romantic relationships form a distinct anxiety buffer that is only effective when the cultural (romance) instead of the biological (having children) nature of the relationship is highlighted. We discuss the role of anxiety buffer salience for determining whether offspring concerns buffer or increase existential threat.