“Death and Love Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic”: Effects of Pathogen Threats on Online Dating and Social Distancing From Life-History Strategy Perspectives

• Published in: Omega: Journal of Death and Dying Vol. 88; no. 4; pp. 1465 - 1495
• Main Authors: Jin, Seunga Venus, Ryu, Ehri, Muqaddam, Aziz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-03-2024; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Competitiveness; COVID-19; Dating; Death & dying; Death anxiety; Fear & phobias; Gun violence; Mental disorders; Pandemics; Terror management theory; Threats; online dating websites/apps; the COVID-19 pandemic; death anxiety; social/physical distancing; fast-/slow life-history strategy paradigm; mortality salience; terror management theory; pathogen stress; intrasexual competitiveness; violent media content
• ISSN: 0030-2228; 1541-3764
• DOI: 10.1177/00302228211062364

Drawing from the terror management theory (TMT) and evolutionary perspectives of Life-History Strategy, a between-subject online experiment examined the interaction effects of pre-existing death anxiety, fear-inducing media content (coronavirus threat vs. gun violence threat vs. low threat mental disorder), and intrasexual competition for mates on online dating intentions and social distancing intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicate the interaction effects of participants’ pre-experimental death anxiety and different types of fear-inducing media content on perceived fear and intention to use online dating websites/apps as well as the interaction effects of pre-experimental intrasexual competitiveness and fear-inducing media content on social distancing intention in the context of online dating. Theoretical contributions to the terror management literature and practical implications for the online dating industry are discussed.