Death, etxtraversion, commitment, and sex: a study on terror management

Several studies have found that when confronted with mortality (i.e., mortality salience), the desire for intimate relationships and the desire for sex increase (Ben-Ari, 2004; Hirschberger, Florian, & Mikulincer, 2002). The current study examined desire for commitment to a romantic partner and the desire to engage in risky sexual behaviors when mortality is salient and added an examination of how these constructs overlap with the personality trait of extraversion. Results showed that, as expected, extraversion was correlated with the desire to engage in risky sexual behavior. Surprisingly, however, individuals under mortality salience were less likely to desire risky sexual encounters, compared to a control group. Implications for adult close relationships and terror management theory are discussed