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An existential function of doomsday: the effects of existential vulnerability and apocalyptic beliefs on meaning in life
Descriptive
TitleInfo
Title
An existential function of doomsday: the effects of existential vulnerability and apocalyptic beliefs on meaning in life
Name
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Kaslon
NamePart
(type = given)
Samuel W.
NamePart
(type = date)
1991-
DisplayForm
Samuel W. Kaslon
Role
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(authority = RULIB)
author
Name
(type = personal)
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(type = family)
Abeyta
NamePart
(type = given)
Andrew A.
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Andrew A. Abeyta
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Advisory Committee
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chair
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van der Wel
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Robrecht
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Robrecht van der Wel
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Advisory Committee
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internal member
Name
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Cavanaugh
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Courtney
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Courtney Cavanaugh
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Advisory Committee
Role
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internal member
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Rutgers University
Role
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(authority = RULIB)
degree grantor
Name
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NamePart
Camden Graduate School
Role
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school
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Text
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theses
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2019
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2019-05
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2019
Language
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(authority = ISO 639-3:2007);
(type = text)
English
Abstract
Building on research that suggests apocalyptic beliefs regulate feelings of anxiety over the thought of one’s inevitable death, the purpose of the current research was to test the potential that people, particularly existentially vulnerable people (i.e., individuals who are dissatisfied with the conditions of their lives), derive meaning in life from apocalyptic beliefs. To complete this aim, I conducted an experiment on a sample of Amazon Mechanical Turk (online subject pool) users (N = 202). First, I assessed individual differences in existential vulnerability using the crisis of meaning scale and a trait cynicism scale, and then manipulated apocalyptic beliefs. Specifically, participants were either exposed to an article that provided evidence that the end of the world is near or that end of bookstores is near. Finally, state meaning in life and depressive symptoms (a control variable) were assessed. I hypothesized that the apocalypse would increase state meaning among people who scored high but not low in crisis of meaning and cynicism, respectively. However, the results did not support these hypotheses. More research is needed before concluding apocalyptic beliefs can serve as a source for meaning for those high, not low, in existential vulnerability.
Subject
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Topic
Existential
Subject
(authority = RUETD)
Topic
Psychology
Subject
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
End of the world
Subject
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Attitude (Psychology)
Subject
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Meaning (Philosophy)
RelatedItem
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Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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ETD
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ETD_10017
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application/pdf
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text/xml
Extent
1 online resource (ii, 35 pages) : illustrations
Note
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M.A.
Note
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Includes bibliographical references
RelatedItem
(type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Camden Graduate School Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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rucore10005600001
Location
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(displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
NjNbRU
Identifier
(type = doi)
doi:10.7282/t3-0007-ma21
Genre
(authority = ExL-Esploro)
ETD graduate
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Rights
RightsDeclaration
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The author owns the copyright to this work.
RightsHolder
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Name
FamilyName
Kaslon
GivenName
Samuel
MiddleName
W.
Role
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RightsEvent
Type
Permission or license
DateTime
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2019-05-08 22:54:31
AssociatedEntity
Name
Samuel W. Kaslon
Role
Copyright holder
Affiliation
Rutgers University. Camden Graduate School
AssociatedObject
Type
License
Name
Author Agreement License
Detail
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
Copyright
Status
Copyright protected
Availability
Status
Open
Reason
Permission or license
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Technical
RULTechMD
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ETD
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windows xp
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1.4
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2019-05-10T16:52:27
DateCreated
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2019-05-10T16:52:27
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