Mortality Salience Increases the Willingness to Support Parents
1. Research Center for Quality of Life and Applied Psychology, School of Humanities and Management, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523830, China
2. Key Laboratory for Quality of Life and Psychological Assessment and Intervention, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523830, China
Abstract:Experimental paradigms of mortality salience and death reflection were used to explore how death awareness affects individuals’ willingness to support their parents. Results indicated that under conditions advocating interdependent care for aging parents, only the mortality salience enhanced individuals' caregiving intentions. Conversely, under conditions promoting independent self-care without emphasis on filial care, neither the mortality salience nor the death reflection manipulation significantly affected caregiving attitudes. These findings contribute to the field of death awareness research by distinguishing the differential effects of two experimental paradigms on caregiving intentions, providing new perspectives and approaches to enhance the proactive engagement and enthusiasm of younger generations in caregiving for their parents.