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.

Last modified

• 05/22/2023

Creator

• Ryu, E.
• Muqaddam, A.
• Jin, S. V.

DOI

• https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-cjkn-ab66

Alternate Identifier

• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00302228211062364

Keyword

• intrasexual competitiveness
• social/physical distancing
• the COVID-19 pandemic
• terror management theory
• violent media content
• fast-/slow life-history strategy paradigm
• mortality salience
• online dating websites/apps
• pathogen stress
• death anxiety

Related url

•  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35043735/

Resource type

• Article

Source

• OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying

Rights statement

• In Copyright