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Apocalypse now: Thoughts about human extinction under mortality salience increase death-thought accessibility but reduce worldview defense.

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Title: Apocalypse now: Thoughts about human extinction under mortality salience increase death-thought accessibility but reduce worldview defense.
Authors: Rihs, Michael (AUTHOR), Brodwolf, Flurina L. (AUTHOR), Mast, Fred W. (AUTHOR)
Source: Death Studies. 2026, Vol. 50 Issue 7, p1067-1078. 12p.
Subjects: Death & psychology, Fear, Attitudes toward death, Mortality, Defense mechanisms (Psychology), Questionnaires, Anxiety, Emotions, Psychology, Personality, Analysis of variance, Social values, Theory, Psychology of college students, Data analysis software, Thought & thinking, Gamma rays, Video recording, Self-perception
Geographic Terms: Germany
Abstract: Various threats (e.g., climate change, nuclear wars, pandemics) pose the risk of human extinction. This represents a threat to human cultures and should result in effects similar to mortality salience (MS). At the same time, thoughts about human extinction reduce the belief in a long-lasting culture. This conflicts with the striving for symbolic immortality as a strategy to buffer MS. To investigate how thoughts about human extinction affect terror management, participants were presented with either an apocalyptic, destructive, or neutral video in combination with a manipulation of MS. Participants reported highest death-thought accessibility when watching the apocalyptic video under MS. However, worldview defense was decreased after watching the apocalyptic video under MS. These findings point to a dissociation between proximal and distal defense mechanisms: Thoughts about human extinction increase proximal defenses under MS, but they undermine the strive for symbolic immortality by worldview defense as distal defenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Death Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Apocalypse now: Thoughts about human extinction under mortality salience increase death-thought accessibility but reduce worldview defense.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rihs%2C+Michael%22">Rihs, Michael</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Brodwolf%2C+Flurina+L%2E%22">Brodwolf, Flurina L.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mast%2C+Fred+W%2E%22">Mast, Fred W.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Death+Studies%22">Death Studies</searchLink>. 2026, Vol. 50 Issue 7, p1067-1078. 12p.
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– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Various threats (e.g., climate change, nuclear wars, pandemics) pose the risk of human extinction. This represents a threat to human cultures and should result in effects similar to mortality salience (MS). At the same time, thoughts about human extinction reduce the belief in a long-lasting culture. This conflicts with the striving for symbolic immortality as a strategy to buffer MS. To investigate how thoughts about human extinction affect terror management, participants were presented with either an apocalyptic, destructive, or neutral video in combination with a manipulation of MS. Participants reported highest death-thought accessibility when watching the apocalyptic video under MS. However, worldview defense was decreased after watching the apocalyptic video under MS. These findings point to a dissociation between proximal and distal defense mechanisms: Thoughts about human extinction increase proximal defenses under MS, but they undermine the strive for symbolic immortality by worldview defense as distal defenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Death Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=194898204
RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/07481187.2025.2469137
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 12
        StartPage: 1067
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Death & psychology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Fear
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attitudes toward death
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mortality
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Defense mechanisms (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Questionnaires
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Anxiety
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Emotions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Personality
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Analysis of variance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social values
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Theory
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychology of college students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thought & thinking
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Gamma rays
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Video recording
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self-perception
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Germany
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Apocalypse now: Thoughts about human extinction under mortality salience increase death-thought accessibility but reduce worldview defense.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
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          Name:
            NameFull: Rihs, Michael
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Brodwolf, Flurina L.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Mast, Fred W.
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 08
              Text: 2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 07481187
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              Value: 50
            – Type: issue
              Value: 7
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Death Studies
              Type: main
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