Openness to experience predicts intrinsic value shifts after deliberating one's own death. Issue 4 (21st April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Prentice, Mike; Kasser, Tim; Sheldon, Kennon M.
• Is Part Of: Death studies. Volume 42:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: 205
• Page End: 215
• Publication Date: 2018-04-21
• Subjects: Death -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Terminal care -- Periodicals; Death -- Moral and ethical aspects -- Periodicals; 306.9
• DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2017.1334016
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0748-1187

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Individual differences that might moderate processes of value shifting during and after deliberating one's own death remain largely unexplored. Two studies measured participants' openness and relative intrinsic-to-extrinsic value orientation (RIEVO) before randomly assigning them to conditions in which they wrote about their own death or dental pain for 6 days, after which RIEVO was assessed again up to 12 days later. When participants confronted thoughts about their own death over a sustained period, high openness to experience helped them shift toward intrinsic values. Implications for understanding openness' role in value reorientation from existential deliberation processes are discussed.