The Influence Of Death Consciousness On Prosocial Behavior: The Dual Path Mechanism Of Death Reflection And Death Anxiety

One of the starting points of this article is how to correctly view death and discover the positive aspects of death,which is inherent in humans.In recent decades,scholars’ experimental research on death consciousness has mainly focused on the fear,denial,unease,anxiety,and negative reactions caused by death consciousness,with little research on the positive effects of death;Until recent years,scholars have gradually conducted research on the positive effects and adaptability of death consciousness.Existing studies have found that death awareness can promote people’s prosocial behavior,but in some cases,individuals will reduce their prosocial behavior when prompted by death clues.Related scholars classify death consciousness into death reflection and death anxiety,believing that death reflection generates pro social motivation and behavior,while death anxiety generates self protective withdrawal motivation and behavior.Based on the abstract existence system/concrete existence system proposed by the dual existence system model,this study intends to study the impact of death consciousness on prosocial behavior and its internal mechanism.It proposes that the impact of death consciousness on prosocial behavior is a two-way mechanism,in which the values of self transcendence and self enhancement play a mediating role,and uses two studies to prove this hypothesis.Study 1 used the questionnaire survey method to conduct relevant research,and explored the relationship mechanism between death introspection,death anxiety,self transcendence values,self enhancement values and prosocial behavior tendencies through the questionnaire survey method.The questionnaire stars were used to distribute and collect relevant questionnaires to Chinese college students,and a total of 439 valid sample questionnaires were obtained.The death introspection scale,death anxiety scale,portrait values questionnaire,and prosocial behavior propensity scale were used to preliminarily explore the impact of death awareness on prosocial behavior and its mechanism.The results show that the influence of death consciousness on prosocial behavior is a two path model.Death introspection has a significant positive predictive effect on prosocial behavior,while self transcendence values play a partial mediating role between death introspection and prosocial behavior tendencies;Death anxiety has a significantly negative predictive effect on prosocial behavior tendencies,and self reinforcing values partially mediate death anxiety and prosocial behavior tendencies.In Study 2,online experimental methods were used to recruit college students for causal relationships between variables.In the formal experiment,a single factor 3(death initiation: death reflection group,death highlighting group,and toothache control group)level inter subject design was used,and a total of 117 effective subjects were recruited.Among them,death reflection group,death highlight group and toothache control group were started to measure the relationship mechanism between death awareness and prosocial behavior.According to the experimental results,the research conclusions are as follows: the impact of death awareness on prosocial behavior is a two path model.Specifically,death introspection has a significant positive impact on prosocial behavior.Under the condition of death introspection,individuals’ self transcending values will be strengthened,and self transcending values play a partial mediating role between death introspection and prosocial behavior.Death anxiety has a significant negative impact on prosocial behavior.Under the condition of prominent death,it will enhance individual self enhancement values,and self enhancement values play a partial intermediary role between prominent death and prosocial behavior.From two perspectives of death consciousness,this study preliminarily explored the impact of death introspection and death anxiety on prosocial behavior,and expanded the related research on death consciousness and prosocial behavior.Further analysis also found that the values of self transcendence and self enhancement mediate the impact of death awareness on prosocial behavior.In addition,this study explores the positive effects of death awareness and explores the positive direction and adaptability of death.Therefore,in the future,more in-depth research can be conducted on how to improve individuals’ awareness of death reflection.The findings of this study have positive reference value for education on the meaning of life and the establishment of good values,which is conducive to further promoting the development of social relations under the topic of death.