Exploring individual differences in reactions to mortality salience: Does attachment style regulate terror management mechanisms?

Five studies examined the contribution of attachment style to mortality sal ience effects. In Study 1, mortality salience led to more severe judgments of transgressions only among anxious-ambivalent and avoidant persons but no t among secure persons. In addition, whereas anxious-ambivalent persons sho wed immediate and delayed increases in severity judgments, avoidant persons showed this response only after a delay period. In Study 2, anxious-ambiva lent persons showed immediate and delayed increases in death-thought access ibility after death reminders. Avoidant and secure persons showed this effe ct only after a delay period. Study 3 revealed that worldview defense in re sponse to mortality salience reduced death-thought accessibility only among avoidant persons. Studies 4-5 revealed that mortality salience led to an i ncrease in the sense of symbolic immortality as well as in the desire of in timacy only among secure persons, but not among avoidant and anxious-ambiva lent persons.