A Study On Implicit Intimate Relationship Under Fear Management Theory

Terror management theory proposed tripartite psychological defenses mechanisms in dealing withthe terror of death-cultural, self-esteem and close relationship. Close relationship as the thirdand latest proposed defense mechanism plays important role in TMT. Most research focus onthe mechanism of explicit close relationship. We would like to explore the effects andmechanism of implicit close relationship on terror management theory.We recruited the college students in love affairs as participants. The research can be separatedinto three studies. Study1applied extrinsic affective Simon task (EAST) to explore themortality salience effects on implicit close relationship. In study2and3, a manipulation toboost or weaken implicit close relationship was conducted to investigate the effects on terrormanagement theory. Study2tested that subliminal presentation of attachment figures’ namecan increase implicit close relationship. Then we examined the influence of increasement ofimplicit close relationship (security prime) on death-thought accessibility (DTA) and culturalworldview defense after mortality salience. On the contrary, study3demonstrated thatsubliminal presentation of negative close relationship words can decrease implicit closerelationship. Then we investigated the influence of decreasement of implicit close relationship(insecurity prime) on DTA and cultural worldview defense after mortality salience.The results revealed that mortality salience weaken implicit close relationship. Securityattachment individual tend to close relationship mechanism which is different from insecurityattachment, the DTA of security attachment is higher than insecurity attachment individual.Boost implicit close relationship after mortality salience can increase cultural worldviewmechanism, so as weaken implicit close relationship but without mortality saliencemanipulation. Boost implicit close relationship after mortality salience or weaken implicitclose relationship can increase DTA only to security attachment individuals. There are manydifferences between implicit close relationship mechanism and other mechanisms. Findingswere discussed in light of terror management theory, mental analysis theory, evolutionarypsychology and implicit and explicit cognition.