Effects of Mortality salience on self-effacing attribution and anticipation for supportive attribution by close friends

Abstract

Recent studies have suggested that interpersonal relationships have a buffering effect on existential terror, hence people strive to strengthen relationships in response to mortality salience (MS). Wakimoto (2006) have reported that Japanese show greater self-effacement as a way to maintain harmony in relationships when mortality is salient. Considering that Japanese people are likely to anticipate a supportive reaction by others when they show self-effacement, it was predicted that MS intensifies expectations of their friends' supportiveness, as well as expression of self-effacement. It was also expected that these effects would be moderated by attachment style. These predictions were examined with regard to causal attribution of past success and failure. Fifty-two Japanese undergraduates responded to items probing their attribution of past success and failure, and their prediction of their close friends' attribution of the events. The results indicated that MS raises expectations for supportive attribution form close friends, when self-effacing attribution is induced. However, an increase in expectation for supportive attribution after MS did not necessarily accompany more self-effacing attribution. Suggestions for future research on terror management through close relationships were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)