TY - JOUR
T1 - The effect of reminders of death on reckless driving
T2 - A terror management perspective
AU - Taubman - Ben-Ari, Orit
PY - 2000/12
Y1 - 2000/12
N2 - Why do young people, especially young men, engage in reckless driving despite the fact that this behavior contradicts the basic biological imperative of self-preservation? Answering this interesting and crucial question may lead to effective interventions. A series of studies, based on terror management theory, examined the effects of reminders of death on risk taking while driving. The dependent measures were either self-reported behavioral intentions of risky driving or driving speed in a car simulator. Findings showed that mortality-salience inductions led to more risky driving than the control condition only among individuals who perceived driving as relevant to their self-esteem. The introduction of positive feedback about driving eliminated this effect. The complex role of self-esteem in the process of risk taking is discussed.
AB - Why do young people, especially young men, engage in reckless driving despite the fact that this behavior contradicts the basic biological imperative of self-preservation? Answering this interesting and crucial question may lead to effective interventions. A series of studies, based on terror management theory, examined the effects of reminders of death on risk taking while driving. The dependent measures were either self-reported behavioral intentions of risky driving or driving speed in a car simulator. Findings showed that mortality-salience inductions led to more risky driving than the control condition only among individuals who perceived driving as relevant to their self-esteem. The introduction of positive feedback about driving eliminated this effect. The complex role of self-esteem in the process of risk taking is discussed.
KW - Mortality salience
KW - Reckless driving
KW - Self-esteem
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034338620&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1467-8721.00093
DO - 10.1111/1467-8721.00093
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AN - SCOPUS:0034338620
SN - 0963-7214
VL - 9
SP - 196
EP - 199
JO - Current Directions in Psychological Science
JF - Current Directions in Psychological Science
IS - 6
ER -