The present research tested the idea that a self-determined orientation may help people manage death-related thoughts and anxieties, and mitigate the effects of death awareness on well-being. Seven studies (N = 3,331), using a diversity of measures and manipulations, were consistent with that idea. First, mortality salience (vs. other topic primes) increased death-thought accessibility, but not if participants had high need-satisfaction (Study 1, n = 160; Study 2, n = 216) or were prompted to recall self-determined experiences (Study 3, n = 188). Second, need-satisfaction was associated with reduced death anxiety (Study 4a, n = 301; Study 4b, n = 1,848), and priming self-determined concepts eliminated the effect of mortality salience on death anxiety (Study 5, n = 119). Third, heightened death-thought accessibility was related to lower satisfaction with life (Study 6, n = 271) and happiness (Study 7, n = 228), but not among those with high need-satisfaction. Supplemental analyses suggested the effects of need-satisfaction were not due to associations with affect (Studies 1, 6, 7), epistemic certainty (ideological dogmatism, Study 4a), or mindfulness (Studies 5b and 6); need-satisfaction mitigated the effects of existential concern via self-esteem but not via growth orientation (Study 4b) nor due to its relationship with Openness (Studies 6 and 7). Together, these findings suggest a self-determined orientation can help buffer existential concern and buoy well-being and point to a potential existential protective function beyond its known growth-oriented functions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

中文翻译：

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我灵魂的船长：自我决定和需求满足有助于管理与死亡相关的认知、焦虑和幸福。


目前的研究测试了这样一种观点，即自我决定的取向可以帮助人们管理与死亡相关的想法和焦虑，并减轻死亡意识对幸福感的影响。七项研究（N = 3,331）使用了多种措施和操作，与这一想法一致。首先，死亡率显着性（相对于其他主题素数）增加了死亡想法的可及性，但如果参与者具有较高的需求满意度（研究 1，n = 160；研究 2，n = 216）或被提示回忆起自己决定的经历，则不会增加死亡想法的可及性（研究 3，n = 188）。其次，需求满足与死亡焦虑的减少相关（研究 4a，n = 301；研究 4b，n = 1,848），并且启动自我决定概念消除了死亡显着性对死亡焦虑的影响（研究 5，n = 119） 。第三，较高的死亡想法可及性与较低的生活满意度（研究 6，n = 271）和幸福感（研究 7，n = 228）相关，但与需求满足度较高的人无关。补充分析表明，需求满足的影响并不是由于与情感（研究 1、6、7）、认知确定性（意识形态教条主义，研究 4a）或正念（研究 5b 和 6）的关联；需求满足通过自尊而非成长导向（研究 4b）或由于其与开放性的关系（研究 6 和 7）减轻了存在主义担忧的影响。总之，这些发现表明，自我决定的取向可以帮助缓冲存在主义担忧并提升幸福感，并指出其潜在的存在主义保护功能超出了其已知的增长导向功能。 （PsycInfo 数据库记录 (c) 2023 APA，保留所有权利）。