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Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Published in Judy Z. Koenigsberg, Anxiety Disorders, 2020
To develop a psychodynamic understanding of the psychological defenses that individuals use against death anxiety, Bassett (2007) integrated two theories: Terror Management Theory (TMT) (Greenberg, Pyszczynski, & Solomon, 1986) and Separation Theory (Firestone, 1994). Both theories underscore the effect of past experiences on the development of psychological defenses and recognize that adult defenses develop as a reaction to anxiety over abandonment by parents (Bassett, 2007). Death anxiety emerges as an existential worry about one’s extinction that takes the place of concerns about neglect experienced from parents, and the integration of the two theories offers a more complete understanding of adult defenses by broadening the number and type of psychological defenses against death anxiety (Bassett, 2007; Firestone, 1984).
Theory of The Omnipresence of Cancer
Published in Carol L. Cox, Maya Zumstein-Shaha, A Theory of Cancer Care in Healthcare Settings, 2017
In psychology and nursing, similar concepts such as fear of death (Penson et al., 2005) or death anxiety (Bassett, 2007) have been developed and included in theories such as ‘Terror Management Theory’ (Taubman-Ben-Ari et al., 2002). This theory maintains that life-threatening large scale events, such as terrorist attacks, provoke awareness of life’s transitory nature in the targeted population. By reinforcing social and personal relationships the population strives to rebuild confidence and trust. Interventions fostering the re-building of or strengthening relationships between individuals or art-based interventions such as painting and drawing have been shown to be supportive. Employment of these interventions shows that individuals feel better able to manage their lives (Mikulincer et al., 2003; Arndt et al., 2005).
Evaluating Introductions and Literature Reviews
Published in Fred Pyrczak, Maria Tcherni-Buzzeo, Evaluating Research in Academic Journals, 2018
Fred Pyrczak, Maria Tcherni-Buzzeo
Terror management theory (see Greenberg et al., 1997, for a complete presentation) is based on the premise that humans are in a precarious position due to the conflict between biological motives to survive and the cognitive capacity to realize life will ultimately end. This generally unconscious awareness that death is inevitable, coupled with proclivities for survival, creates potentially paralyzing anxiety that people manage by investing in a meaningful conception of the world (cultural worldview) that provides prescriptions for valued behavior and thus a way to also maintain self-esteem. For instance, support for the theory has been provided by numerous findings that reminding people of their own eventual death (mortality salience) results in an attitudinal and behavioral defense of their cultural worldview (worldview defense, e.g., Greenberg et al., 1990) and a striving to attain self-esteem (e.g., Routledge, Arndt, & Goldenberg, 2004; see Pyszczynski, Greenberg, Solomon, Arndt, & Schimel, 2004, for a review). Although terror management theory has traditionally focused on the effects of unconscious concerns with mortality on these symbolic or indirect distal defenses, recent research has led to the conceptualization of a dual defense model that also explicates responses provoked by conscious death-related thoughts (Arndt, Cook, & Routledge, 2004; Pyszczynski, Greenberg, & Solomon, 1999).22Is the theory adequately described? Explain.
Older Adult Health Condition as a Moderator of How Middle-Aged Adults’ Ageist Attitudes and Aging Anxiety Relate to Their Compassion for and Emotional Distance from Older Adults
Published in Experimental Aging Research, 2023
Hannah M. Bashian, Grace I. L. Caskie
Two theories provide a framework for our study: Terror Management Theory (TMT; Martens et al., 2005) and Social Identity Theory (Chonody & Teater, 2015). Terror Management Theory posits that human beings have a basic desire to survive but also possess the unique knowledge that they will inevitably die. This knowledge creates the potential for anxiety, such as aging anxiety, with which individuals cope through conscious and unconscious defense mechanisms (Martens et al., 2005). Some of these defense mechanisms include distancing or distracting from death-related thoughts. TMT theorizes these defenses are used as an attempt to place death concerns outside of one’s conscious awareness (Cicirelli, 2002). TMT further suggests that older adults and the aging process are reminders of one’s own mortality (Maxfield & Bevan, 2019). To cope with this fear of dying, people may attempt to physically and emotionally distance themselves from older adults and/or treat them differently, resulting in ageist attitudes (Martens et al., 2005). Thus, TMT posits that aging anxiety is a result of one’s existential anxiety of nearing death, whereas ageist attitudes are a defense mechanism used to cope with one’s aging anxiety.
From Freud to Android: Constructing a Scale of Uncanny Feelings
Published in Journal of Personality Assessment, 2023
Rachele Benjamin, Steven J. Heine
According to the existential account, uncanny objects make people think of death, both on an esthetic level (appearance corpse-like), and on a conceptual level—people are reminded of fearful notions that humans are no more than machines (MacDorman & Ishiguro, 2006; see also Ramey, 2005). This account derives from Terror Management Theory, which states that reminders of death create existential anxieties which enhance people’s motivations to defend their worldview (Goldenberg et al., 2001). Supporting this explanation, MacDorman and Ishiguro (2006) found that people who saw an uncanny image engaged in behaviors that are typical of being reminded of death, preferring a worldview-affirming target over a worldview-threatening one. The existential account is theoretically linked to mind perception: the belief that humans are not special or unique elicits anxieties (Greenberg et al., 1986); thus, robot minds may constitute an existential threat (MacDorman & Entezari, 2015).
Health Bias in Clinical Work with Older Adult Clients: The Relation with Ageism and Aging Anxiety
Published in Clinical Gerontologist, 2022
Grace I. L. Caskie, Shannon L. Patterson, Abigail R. Voelkner
Gaining a better understanding of why individuals hold ageist beliefs may help to improve geropsychology training and reduce professional biases and concerns about therapeutic process issues. Previous studies with clinical psychology trainees (Lee et al., 2003) and undergraduate students (Allan & Johnson, 2009; Barnett & Adams, 2018; Boswell, 2012; Schwartz & Simmons, 2001) identified aging anxiety as a factor in explaining ageist attitudes and behaviors. Several studies found direct relationships between higher levels of aging anxiety and more negative attitudes toward older adults and aging (Harris & Dollinger, 2001; Wisdom et al., 2014. Aging anxiety is distinct from other types of anxiety in that it is centered on the anticipation of losses during the aging process (Boswell, 2012; Lasher & Faulkender, 1993). Terror Management Theory (Martens, Goldenberg, & Greenberg, 2005) stipulates that anxiety about aging, and death in particular, can result in individuals distancing themselves from older adults to cope with these concerns. However, no known studies have explicitly linked aging anxiety to mental health trainees’ perceptions of older adult clients. We hypothesized that greater aging anxiety would relate to trainees rating potential clinical work with an older adult client more negatively and that aging anxiety would magnify any differences based on older adult health status.