TY - JOUR
T1 - Looking away from death
T2 - Defensive attention as a form of terror management
AU - Hirschberger, Gilad
AU - Ein-Dor, Tsachi
AU - Caspi, Avi
AU - Arzouan, Yossi
AU - Zivotofsky, Ari Z.
PY - 2010/1
Y1 - 2010/1
N2 - Previous research has suggested that the physical aspects of human nature in general, and physical human frailties in particular become disagreeable and repugnant following death primes. The current research tested this hypothesis in two studies using an eye-tracking methodology. Participants were subliminally primed with death or with a control word and then viewed a series of arrays containing four pictures each, during which their eye-movements were monitored. In Study 1, the arrays included pictures of physical injury or neutral objects, and in Study 2 pictures of physical injury, threatening images, and neutral objects. The results indicated that in both studies death primes significantly decreased gaze duration towards pictures of physical injury, and did not have a significant effect on gaze duration towards neutral images. However, in Study 2 death primes increased gaze duration towards threatening images. The discussion examines the role of motivated unconscious attention in terror management processes.
AB - Previous research has suggested that the physical aspects of human nature in general, and physical human frailties in particular become disagreeable and repugnant following death primes. The current research tested this hypothesis in two studies using an eye-tracking methodology. Participants were subliminally primed with death or with a control word and then viewed a series of arrays containing four pictures each, during which their eye-movements were monitored. In Study 1, the arrays included pictures of physical injury or neutral objects, and in Study 2 pictures of physical injury, threatening images, and neutral objects. The results indicated that in both studies death primes significantly decreased gaze duration towards pictures of physical injury, and did not have a significant effect on gaze duration towards neutral images. However, in Study 2 death primes increased gaze duration towards threatening images. The discussion examines the role of motivated unconscious attention in terror management processes.
KW - Eye movements
KW - Subliminal priming
KW - Terror management
KW - Visual attention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70449656826&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jesp.2009.10.005
DO - 10.1016/j.jesp.2009.10.005
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AN - SCOPUS:70449656826
SN - 0022-1031
VL - 46
SP - 172
EP - 178
JO - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
IS - 1
ER -