Personality and Social Psychology Review

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Register here to gain access to SAGE's 500+ Journals Online

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mikulincer, M.
Right arrow Articles by Hirschberger, G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mikulincer, M.
Right arrow Articles by Hirschberger, G.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Personality and Social Psychology Review, Vol. 7, No. 1, 20-40 (2003)
DOI: 10.1207/S15327957PSPR0701_2

The Existential Function of Close Relationships: Introducing Death Into the Science of Love

Mario Mikulincer

Victor Florian

Gilad Hirschberger

Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University

Originally, terror management theory proposed two psychological mechanisms in dealing with the terror of death awareness-cultural worldview validation and self-esteem enhancement. In this article, we would like to promote the idea of close relationships as an additional death-anxiety buffering mechanism and review a growing body of empirical data that support this contention. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the sociocultural and personal functions of close relationships, we formulate two basic hypotheses that have received empirical support in a series of experimental studies. First, death reminders heighten the motivation to form and maintain close relationships. Second, the maintenance of close relationships provides a symbolic shield against the terror of death, whereas the breaking of close relationships results in an upsurge of death awareness. In addition, we present empirical evidence supporting the possibility that close relationships function as a related yet separate mechanism from the self-esteem and cultural worldview defenses.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 JCOHome page
M. Braun, M. Mikulincer, A. Rydall, A. Walsh, and G. Rodin
Hidden Morbidity in Cancer: Spouse Caregivers
J. Clin. Oncol., October 20, 2007; 25(30): 4829 - 4834.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Journal of Social and Personal RelationshipsHome page
A. Strachman and J. Schimel
Terror management and close relationships: Evidence that mortality salience reduces commitment among partners with different worldviews
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, December 1, 2006; 23(6): 965 - 978.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Pers Soc Psychol BullHome page
M. J. Landau and J. Greenberg
Play It Safe or Go for the Gold? A Terror Management Perspective on Self-Enhancement and Self-Protective Motives in Risky Decision Making.
Pers Soc Psychol Bull, December 1, 2006; 32(12): 1633 - 1645.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Pers Soc Psychol BullHome page
G. Hirschberger and T. Ein-Dor
Defenders of a Lost Cause: Terror Management and Violent Resistance to the Disengagement Plan
Pers Soc Psychol Bull, June 1, 2006; 32(6): 761 - 769.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Pers Soc Psychol BullHome page
J. Arndt, C. Routledge, J. Greenberg, and K. M. Sheldon
Illuminating the Dark Side of Creative Expression: Assimilation Needs and the Consequences of Creative Action Following Mortality Salience
Pers Soc Psychol Bull, October 1, 2005; 31(10): 1327 - 1339.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Pers Soc Psychol BullHome page
J. Joireman and B. Duell
Mother Teresa Versus Ebenezer Scrooge: Mortality Salience Leads Proselfs to Endorse Self-Transcendent Values (Unless Proselfs Are Reassured)
Pers Soc Psychol Bull, March 1, 2005; 31(3): 307 - 320.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Pers Soc Psychol BullHome page
M. J. Landau, S. Solomon, J. Greenberg, F. Cohen, T. Pyszczynski, J. Arndt, C. H. Miller, D. M. Ogilvie, and A. Cook
Deliver us from Evil: The Effects of Mortality Salience and Reminders of 9/11 on Support for President George W. Bush
Pers Soc Psychol Bull, September 1, 2004; 30(9): 1136 - 1150.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Pers Soc Psychol BullHome page
J. L. Goldenberg, M. J. Landau, T. Pyszczynski, C. R. Cox, J. Greenberg, S. Solomon, and H. Dunnam
Gender-Typical Responses to Sexual and Emotional Infidelity as a Function of Mortality Salience Induced Self-Esteem Striving
Pers Soc Psychol Bull, December 1, 2003; 29(12): 1585 - 1595.
[Abstract] [PDF]