Death attitudes and good life experience: the mediation and suppression effects of intrinsic and extrinsic goals
This study employs Heidegger's philosophy, Goal Content Theory, and Terror Management Theory to investigate the roles of intrinsic and extrinsic goals in the relationship between death attitudes (neutral acceptance vs. death anxiety) and the good life experience. Analyzing nationally representa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1567600/full |
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| author | Yuanyuan Wang Yuanyuan Wang Fuhua Pei Yisheng Yang Junxiu Wang Junxiu Wang |
| author_facet | Yuanyuan Wang Yuanyuan Wang Fuhua Pei Yisheng Yang Junxiu Wang Junxiu Wang |
| author_sort | Yuanyuan Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study employs Heidegger's philosophy, Goal Content Theory, and Terror Management Theory to investigate the roles of intrinsic and extrinsic goals in the relationship between death attitudes (neutral acceptance vs. death anxiety) and the good life experience. Analyzing nationally representative data from the Chinese Social Mentality Survey (N=10,195), structural equation models revealed three key findings: (1) Neutral acceptance positively correlated with the good life experience, whereas death anxiety demonstrated negative associations; (2) In the primary conceptual model (Model 1), intrinsic goals mediated while extrinsic goals suppressed the relationship between the death attitudes and the good life experience; (3) Further model validation indicated that consistent suppression effects of extrinsic goals in national stability (Model 2) and personal richness (Model 4) frameworks, with distinctive dual mediation emerging in family happiness (Model 3). Notably, the personal richness model (Model 4) showed non-significant total effects despite preserved mediation patterns. These results advance existential psychology by elucidating culture-specific mechanisms through which death attitudes influences well-being in Chinese populations, while providing empirical validation and theoretical refinement of Goal Content Theory's cross-cultural applicability. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2ed9bc40d0fe4189a868f66f5c55fef5 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-2ed9bc40d0fe4189a868f66f5c55fef52025-08-20T02:18:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-04-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.15676001567600Death attitudes and good life experience: the mediation and suppression effects of intrinsic and extrinsic goalsYuanyuan Wang0Yuanyuan Wang1Fuhua Pei2Yisheng Yang3Junxiu Wang4Junxiu Wang5School of Psychology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, ChinaSchool of Psychology, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, ChinaSchool of Psychology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, ChinaSchool of Psychology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, ChinaThe Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaSchool of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaThis study employs Heidegger's philosophy, Goal Content Theory, and Terror Management Theory to investigate the roles of intrinsic and extrinsic goals in the relationship between death attitudes (neutral acceptance vs. death anxiety) and the good life experience. Analyzing nationally representative data from the Chinese Social Mentality Survey (N=10,195), structural equation models revealed three key findings: (1) Neutral acceptance positively correlated with the good life experience, whereas death anxiety demonstrated negative associations; (2) In the primary conceptual model (Model 1), intrinsic goals mediated while extrinsic goals suppressed the relationship between the death attitudes and the good life experience; (3) Further model validation indicated that consistent suppression effects of extrinsic goals in national stability (Model 2) and personal richness (Model 4) frameworks, with distinctive dual mediation emerging in family happiness (Model 3). Notably, the personal richness model (Model 4) showed non-significant total effects despite preserved mediation patterns. These results advance existential psychology by elucidating culture-specific mechanisms through which death attitudes influences well-being in Chinese populations, while providing empirical validation and theoretical refinement of Goal Content Theory's cross-cultural applicability.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1567600/fulldeath anxietyneutral acceptanceintrinsic goalsextrinsic goalsgood life experience |
| spellingShingle | Yuanyuan Wang Yuanyuan Wang Fuhua Pei Yisheng Yang Junxiu Wang Junxiu Wang Death attitudes and good life experience: the mediation and suppression effects of intrinsic and extrinsic goals Frontiers in Psychiatry death anxiety neutral acceptance intrinsic goals extrinsic goals good life experience |
| title | Death attitudes and good life experience: the mediation and suppression effects of intrinsic and extrinsic goals |
| title_full | Death attitudes and good life experience: the mediation and suppression effects of intrinsic and extrinsic goals |
| title_fullStr | Death attitudes and good life experience: the mediation and suppression effects of intrinsic and extrinsic goals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Death attitudes and good life experience: the mediation and suppression effects of intrinsic and extrinsic goals |
| title_short | Death attitudes and good life experience: the mediation and suppression effects of intrinsic and extrinsic goals |
| title_sort | death attitudes and good life experience the mediation and suppression effects of intrinsic and extrinsic goals |
| topic | death anxiety neutral acceptance intrinsic goals extrinsic goals good life experience |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1567600/full |
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