“Death and Love Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic”: Effects of Pathogen Threats on Online Dating and Social Distancing From Life-History Strategy Perspectives

Drawing from the terror management theory (TMT) and evolutionary perspectives of Life-History Strategy, a between-subject online experiment examined the interaction effects of pre-existing death anxiety, fear-inducing media content (coronavirus threat vs. gun violence threat vs. low threat mental di...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Omega: Journal of Death and Dying 2024-03, Vol.88 (4), p.1465-1495
Main Authors: Jin, Seunga Venus, Ryu, Ehri, Muqaddam, Aziz
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Competitiveness
COVID-19
Dating
Death & dying
Death anxiety
Fear & phobias
Gun violence
Mental disorders
Pandemics
Terror management theory
Threats
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Summary:Drawing from the terror management theory (TMT) and evolutionary perspectives of Life-History Strategy, a between-subject online experiment examined the interaction effects of pre-existing death anxiety, fear-inducing media content (coronavirus threat vs. gun violence threat vs. low threat mental disorder), and intrasexual competition for mates on online dating intentions and social distancing intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicate the interaction effects of participants’ pre-experimental death anxiety and different types of fear-inducing media content on perceived fear and intention to use online dating websites/apps as well as the interaction effects of pre-experimental intrasexual competitiveness and fear-inducing media content on social distancing intention in the context of online dating. Theoretical contributions to the terror management literature and practical implications for the online dating industry are discussed.
ISSN:0030-2228
1541-3764
DOI:10.1177/00302228211062364