Death, Sex, Love, and Neuroticism: Why Is Sex Such a Problem?

Terror management theory posits that sex is a ubiquitous human problem because the creaturely aspects of sex make apparent our animal nature, which reminds us of our vulnerability and mortality. People minimize this threat by investing in the symbolic meaning offered by the cultural worldview. Becau...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality and social psychology 1999-12, Vol.77 (6), p.1173-1187
Main Authors: Goldenberg, Jamie L, Pyszczynski, Tom, McCoy, Shannon K, Greenberg, Jeff, Solomon, Sheldon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Affect
Attitude to Death
Biological and medical sciences
Culture
Death
Death and Dying
Fear
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Humans
Love
Male
Meaning
Middle Aged
Mortality
Neuroses
Neurotic Disorders - psychology
Neuroticism
Personality Inventory
Personality. Affectivity
Pilot Projects
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Romanticism
Sex
Sexual Attitudes
Sexual behavior
Sexual Behavior - psychology
Sexual Intercourse (Human)
Sexuality
Sexuality. Sexual behavior
Social psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Symbolism
Threat
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Summary:Terror management theory posits that sex is a ubiquitous human problem because the creaturely aspects of sex make apparent our animal nature, which reminds us of our vulnerability and mortality. People minimize this threat by investing in the symbolic meaning offered by the cultural worldview. Because people high in neuroticism have difficulty finding or sustaining meaning, sex is a particular problem for them. In Study 1, mortality salience caused high-neuroticism participants to find the physical aspects of sex less appealing. Study 2 revealed that for such individuals thoughts of physical sex increase the accessibility of death-related thoughts. This finding was replicated in Study 3, which also showed that providing meaning by associating sex with love reduces the accessibility of death-related thoughts in response to thoughts of physical sex. These findings provide insight into why people high in neuroticism have conflicting thoughts about sexuality and why sexuality is so often regulated and romanticized.
ISSN:0022-3514
1939-1315
DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.77.6.1173