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Cited by 182Death Anxiety and Social ExclusionDeath, Funerary Practices, and MourningAging and Gerontology Research

Age-Related Differences in Responses to Thoughts of One’s Own Death: Mortality Salience and Judgments of Moral Transgressions

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Maxfield, Molly, Pyszczynski, Tom, Kluck, Benjamin, Cox, Cathy R., Greenberg, Jeff, Solomon, Sheldon, Weise, David·2007·Psychology and Aging
DOI 10.1037/0882-7974.22.2.341PMC PMC2396593
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Abstract

Two experiments explored age differences in response to reminders of death. Terror management research has shown that death reminders lead to increased adherence to and defense of one's cultural worldview. In Study 1, the effect of mortality salience (MS) on evaluations of moral transgressions made by younger and older adults was compared. Whereas younger adults showed the typical pattern of harsher judgments in response to MS, older adults did not. Study 2 compared younger and older adults' responses to both the typical MS induction and a more subtle death reminder. Whereas younger adults responded to both MS inductions with harsher evaluations, older adults made significantly less harsh evaluations after the subtle MS induction. Explanations for this developmental shift in responses to reminders of death are discussed.

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  • Age is negatively associated with MS effects and older adults exhibit the opposite impact of MS inductions by expressing more egalitarian views.

    “Age is negatively associated with MS effects and older adults exhibit the opposite impact of MS inductions by expressing more egalitarian views [28, 29].”

    From Not so terrifying after all? A set of failed replications of the mortality salience effects of Terror Management Theory (2023) · cites this paper as [28]

    The Discussion reports that younger adults became harsher after mortality-salience inductions, while older adults became more lenient after the subtle induction; blatant inductions did not produce that reversal. The measured outcome was judgment of moral transgressions, not egalitarian views. The paper also found no age-by-induction interaction within its older participants, so it does not establish a general negative association between age and MS effects. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • After MS, older participants were lenient toward offenders, whereas younger participants were harsher.

    “After MS, older participants were lenient toward offenders, whereas younger participants were harsher.”

    From When Death is Good for Life: Considering the Positive Trajectories of Terror Management (2012) · cites this paper as Maxfield et al., 2007

    The Results and Discussion report that younger adults judged moral transgressions more harshly after mortality salience (MS), while older adults became significantly more lenient after the subtle MS induction in Study 2. The claim omits that qualification: older adults did not show a significant change in leniency after the other MS inductions. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Older adults reminded of death were more forgiving of moral transgressors.

    “Maxfield et al. found that older adults reminded of death were more forgiving of moral transgressors.”

    From When Death is Good for Life: Considering the Positive Trajectories of Terror Management (2012) · cites this paper as Maxfield et al., 2007

    The Discussion reports that older adults made significantly more lenient judgments of moral transgressors after a subtle death reminder in Study 2. The claim omits that qualification: the more blatant death reminders did not significantly change older adults’ judgments. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Whereas younger adults reminded of death display a harsh defense of their moral code, older adults are more forgiving of moral transgressors after mortality salience.

    “Thus, Maxfield et al. [142] found that, whereas younger adults reminded of death display a harsh defense of their moral code, older adults are more forgiving of moral transgressors after MS 1 .”

    From An Appreciative View of the Brighter Side of Terror Management Processes (2015) · cites this paper as [142]

    The Discussion reports that younger adults made harsher judgments after mortality salience, while older adults made significantly more lenient judgments after the subtle death reminder in Study 2. The claim omits that qualification: the more blatant mortality-salience reminders did not significantly change older adults’ judgments. Page numbers are not provided in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • When using age as a moderator, the impacts of MS attenuated and even reversed in samples of older adults.

    “When using age as a moderator, the impacts of MS attenuated and even reversed (e.g., greater levels of egalitarian attitudes emerged) in samples of older adults [e.g., 28, 29].”

    From Not so terrifying after all? A set of failed replications of the mortality salience effects of Terror Management Theory (2023) · cites this paper as [28]

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1 of the 63 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. Baltes PB, Baltes MM. Psychological perspectives on successful aging: The model of selective optimization and compensation. In: Baltes PB, Baltes MM, editors. Successful aging: Perspectives from behavioral sciences. New York: Cambridge University Press; 1990. pp. 1–34. [Google Scholar]
  2. Becker E. The denial of death. New York: Free Press; 1973. [Google Scholar]
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  4. Martens A, Greenberg J, Schimel J. Effects of mortality salience on judgments of anxious and calm individuals. 2003 Manuscript in preparation. [Google Scholar]
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Authors
Maxfield, M., Pyszczynski, T., Kluck, B., Cox, C. R., Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., & Weise, D.
Affiliations
  • University of Colorado Colorado Springs (US)
  • University of Kansas (US)
  • University of Missouri (US)
  • University of Arizona (US)
  • Skidmore College (US)
ORCID
Venue
Psychology and Aging
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2007-06
Volume
22
Issue
2
Pages
341-353
ISSN
  • 0882-7974 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1498
DOI
10.1037/0882-7974.22.2.341
PMC
PMC2396593
OpenAlex
W2038773980
Cited by
181
References
63
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 10
FWCI
7.78
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychology and Aging (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging (R01AG022910)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
Keywords
mortality salience, death reminders, age differences, moral judgment, moral transgression, terror management theory, older adults, developmental changes
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Affect, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Attention, Attitude to Death, Awareness, Culture, Defense Mechanisms, Denial, Psychological, Fear, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Personality Inventory, Self Concept, Semantics, Social Values, Retrospective Moral Judgment

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