Reckless driving and gender: An examination of a Terror Management Theory explanation

Orit Taubman Ben-Ari, Liora Findler

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

A study, based on Terror Management Theory, examined the effects of mortality salience on young men's and women's behavioral intentions to drive recklessly. Participants (N = 206) reported on the relevance of driving to their self-esteem. Half of them were exposed to a mortality salience induction and the remaining to a control condition. Then they were asked about their willingness to drive recklessly in various scenarios. Findings showed that mortality salience led to higher intentions to drive recklessly than the control condition only among men who perceived driving as relevant to their self-esteem. No such differences were found among women. Results are discussed in light of the self-enhancing and cultural-worldviews-validating mechanisms proposed by the Terror Management Theory.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)603-618
Number of pages16
JournalDeath Studies
Volume27
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2003

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