Andrew A Abeyta
Biographic Data
| ID | 757418 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Andrew A Abeyta |
| GIVEN NAMES | Andrew A |
| FAMILY NAME | Abeyta |
| SIGNATURE | ABEYTA A A |
| AFFILIATIONS | North Dakota State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7982-7251 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 15 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 48 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 15 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2022 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Nostalgia restores meaning in life for lonely people
Lonely individuals lack meaning in life. We hypothesized that nostalgia, a bittersweet emotion that entails reflecting sentimentally on the past, helps restore meaning for lonely people. In two studies, we measured trait loneliness, measured state nostalgia (Study 1) or experimentally induced nostalgia (Study 2), and assessed meaning. Results supported the hypothesis: The relation between loneliness and meaning deficits was reduced among nostalgi…
What makes life meaningful for theists and atheists
Religion, paranormal beliefs, and meaning in life
Past research finds that individual differences in the need for meaning are positively associated with religiosity and spirituality. In the present study, we sought to expand on past research by examining the relationship between the need for meaning and both traditional religiosity and paranormal beliefs. Does the need for meaning predict paranormal beliefs when controlling for other predictors? We observed that the need for meaning uniquely pre…
Does Meaning Motivate Magical Thinking Among Theists and Atheists
Past research indicates that existential threats related to meaning in life increase religious-related magical beliefs (e.g., belief in God). The present three studies examined more broadly whether threatened meaning influences magical ideation and beliefs among atheists and theists. Amazon Mechanical Turk ( N = 1,454) and student participants ( N = 50) were randomly assigned to a meaning threat or control condition and then completed measures of…
The path to God is through the heart: Metaphoric self-location as a predictor of religiosity
Metaphors linking the heart to warm intuition and the head to cold rationality may capture important differences between people because some locate the self in the heart and others locate the self in the head. Five studies (total N = 2575) link these individual differences to religious beliefs. Study 1 found that religious beliefs were stronger among heart-locators than head-locators. Studies 2 and 3 replicated this relationship in more diverse s…
Death and end times: The effects of religious fundamentalism and mortality salience on apocalyptic beliefs
According to terror management theory, the awareness of death motivates people to subscribe to cultural worldviews that offer some form of death transcendence. In support of this assertion, studies reveal that stimuli that heighten the awareness of death (mortality salience) increase investment in and defense of cultural worldviews (e.g., religion). Although past research has elucidated different forms of mortality salience-induced religious worl…
Material Meaning: Narcissists Gain Existential Benefits From Extrinsic Goals
The present research examined how narcissism is related to perceptions of meaning derived from distinct types of life goals, namely, extrinsic and intrinsic. Although in most cases extrinsic goals are inversely associated with well-being, we propose that narcissists’ pursuit of extrinsic goals (e.g., wealth, fame) is positively linked to meaning in life. In Study 1, higher levels of narcissism corresponded with viewing extrinsic goals as more mea…
Miraculous Meaning: Threatened Meaning Increases Belief in Miracles
Further Exploring the Link Between Religion and Existential Health: The Effects of Religiosity and Trait Differences in Mentalizing on Indicators of Meaning in Life
Fountain of youth: The impact of nostalgia on youthfulness and implications for health
The present research explored the impact of nostalgia on feelings of youthfulness, as well as the health benefits of nostalgia-induced youthfulness. Previous research indicates that feeling younger than one’s current age has positive implications for health. We predicted that, relative to ordinary autobiographical memories, nostalgic memories would make people feel more youthful. Further, we predicted that feelings of youthfulness would in turn l…
I am not an animal but I am a sexist: Human distinctiveness, sexist attitudes towards women, and perceptions of meaning in life
Existential concerns relating to human physicality influence cultural worldviews and norms regarding women. When people are striving to bolster perceptions of meaning, they respond negatively to the aspects of the female body that serve as reminders that humans are animals. In the present research, we sought to further explore whether attitudes about human animality relate to attitudes about women. Specifically, we examined the association betwee…
Looking back to move forward: Nostalgia as a psychological resource for promoting relationship goals and overcoming relationship challenges
Previous research has shown that nostalgia is a highly social emotion that provides a sense of social connectedness. In the present research, we tested a social motivational function of nostalgia. Specifically, across 7 studies we found converging evidence that nostalgia mobilizes social goals. In Study 1, nostalgia increased the importance people assigned to relationship goals and how optimistic they felt about achieving these goals. In Study 2,…
Attachment-related avoidance and the social and agentic content of nostalgic memories
The reported research tested whether the social and agentic content of nostalgic memories varies as a function of attachment-related avoidance. We measured individual differences in attachment-related avoidance and anxiety and coded the interpersonal and agentic content of nostalgic and non-nostalgic narratives. Results revealed that nostalgic (relative to non-nostalgic) narratives contained more social content and that this link was not moderate…
Persistent grief in the aftermath of mass violence: The predictive roles of posttraumatic stress symptoms, self-efficacy, and disrupted worldview
This study tested a conceptual model merging anxiety buffer disruption and social-cognitive theories to predict persistent grief severity among students who lost a close friend, significant other, and/or professor/teacher in tragic university campus shootings. A regression-based path model tested posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptom severity 3 to 4 months postshooting (Time 1) as a predictor of grief severity 1 year postshootings (Time 2), both dir…
Using the Past to Promote a Peaceful Future: Nostalgia Proneness Mitigates Existential Threat Induced Nationalistic Self-Sacrifice
Recent research has demonstrated that nostalgia is a source of meaning in life that people utilize when managing existential concerns. The current studies further explored the existential function of nostalgia by testing the prediction that nostalgia decreases ideologically extreme defenses against existential threat (i.e., self-sacrifice on behalf of one's nation or religion). Results supported this hypothesis. In Study 1, mortality salience inc…
Looking back to move forward: Nostalgia as a psychological resource for promoting relationship goals and overcoming relationship challenges
Previous research has shown that nostalgia is a highly social emotion that provides a sense of social connectedness. In the present research, we tested a social motivational function of nostalgia. Specifically, across 7 studies we found converging evidence that nostalgia mobilizes social goals. In Study 1, nostalgia increased the importance people assigned to relationship goals and how optimistic they felt about achieving these goals. In Study 2,…
Attachment-related avoidance and the social and agentic content of nostalgic memories
The reported research tested whether the social and agentic content of nostalgic memories varies as a function of attachment-related avoidance. We measured individual differences in attachment-related avoidance and anxiety and coded the interpersonal and agentic content of nostalgic and non-nostalgic narratives. Results revealed that nostalgic (relative to non-nostalgic) narratives contained more social content and that this link was not moderate…
I am not an animal but I am a sexist: Human distinctiveness, sexist attitudes towards women, and perceptions of meaning in life
Existential concerns relating to human physicality influence cultural worldviews and norms regarding women. When people are striving to bolster perceptions of meaning, they respond negatively to the aspects of the female body that serve as reminders that humans are animals. In the present research, we sought to further explore whether attitudes about human animality relate to attitudes about women. Specifically, we examined the association betwee…
Using the Past to Promote a Peaceful Future: Nostalgia Proneness Mitigates Existential Threat Induced Nationalistic Self-Sacrifice
Recent research has demonstrated that nostalgia is a source of meaning in life that people utilize when managing existential concerns. The current studies further explored the existential function of nostalgia by testing the prediction that nostalgia decreases ideologically extreme defenses against existential threat (i.e., self-sacrifice on behalf of one's nation or religion). Results supported this hypothesis. In Study 1, mortality salience inc…
Persistent grief in the aftermath of mass violence: The predictive roles of posttraumatic stress symptoms, self-efficacy, and disrupted worldview
This study tested a conceptual model merging anxiety buffer disruption and social-cognitive theories to predict persistent grief severity among students who lost a close friend, significant other, and/or professor/teacher in tragic university campus shootings. A regression-based path model tested posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptom severity 3 to 4 months postshooting (Time 1) as a predictor of grief severity 1 year postshootings (Time 2), both dir…
Using the Past to Promote a Peaceful Future: Nostalgia Proneness Mitigates Existential Threat Induced Nationalistic Self-Sacrifice
Recent research has demonstrated that nostalgia is a source of meaning in life that people utilize when managing existential concerns. The current studies further explored the existential function of nostalgia by testing the prediction that nostalgia decreases ideologically extreme defenses against existential threat (i.e., self-sacrifice on behalf of one's nation or religion). Results supported this hypothesis. In Study 1, mortality salience inc…
Looking back to move forward: Nostalgia as a psychological resource for promoting relationship goals and overcoming relationship challenges
Previous research has shown that nostalgia is a highly social emotion that provides a sense of social connectedness. In the present research, we tested a social motivational function of nostalgia. Specifically, across 7 studies we found converging evidence that nostalgia mobilizes social goals. In Study 1, nostalgia increased the importance people assigned to relationship goals and how optimistic they felt about achieving these goals. In Study 2,…
Attachment-related avoidance and the social and agentic content of nostalgic memories
The reported research tested whether the social and agentic content of nostalgic memories varies as a function of attachment-related avoidance. We measured individual differences in attachment-related avoidance and anxiety and coded the interpersonal and agentic content of nostalgic and non-nostalgic narratives. Results revealed that nostalgic (relative to non-nostalgic) narratives contained more social content and that this link was not moderate…
Further Exploring the Link Between Religion and Existential Health: The Effects of Religiosity and Trait Differences in Mentalizing on Indicators of Meaning in Life
Fountain of youth: The impact of nostalgia on youthfulness and implications for health
The present research explored the impact of nostalgia on feelings of youthfulness, as well as the health benefits of nostalgia-induced youthfulness. Previous research indicates that feeling younger than one’s current age has positive implications for health. We predicted that, relative to ordinary autobiographical memories, nostalgic memories would make people feel more youthful. Further, we predicted that feelings of youthfulness would in turn l…
I am not an animal but I am a sexist: Human distinctiveness, sexist attitudes towards women, and perceptions of meaning in life
Existential concerns relating to human physicality influence cultural worldviews and norms regarding women. When people are striving to bolster perceptions of meaning, they respond negatively to the aspects of the female body that serve as reminders that humans are animals. In the present research, we sought to further explore whether attitudes about human animality relate to attitudes about women. Specifically, we examined the association betwee…
Material Meaning: Narcissists Gain Existential Benefits From Extrinsic Goals
The present research examined how narcissism is related to perceptions of meaning derived from distinct types of life goals, namely, extrinsic and intrinsic. Although in most cases extrinsic goals are inversely associated with well-being, we propose that narcissists’ pursuit of extrinsic goals (e.g., wealth, fame) is positively linked to meaning in life. In Study 1, higher levels of narcissism corresponded with viewing extrinsic goals as more mea…
Miraculous Meaning: Threatened Meaning Increases Belief in Miracles
Death and end times: The effects of religious fundamentalism and mortality salience on apocalyptic beliefs
According to terror management theory, the awareness of death motivates people to subscribe to cultural worldviews that offer some form of death transcendence. In support of this assertion, studies reveal that stimuli that heighten the awareness of death (mortality salience) increase investment in and defense of cultural worldviews (e.g., religion). Although past research has elucidated different forms of mortality salience-induced religious worl…
The path to God is through the heart: Metaphoric self-location as a predictor of religiosity
Metaphors linking the heart to warm intuition and the head to cold rationality may capture important differences between people because some locate the self in the heart and others locate the self in the head. Five studies (total N = 2575) link these individual differences to religious beliefs. Study 1 found that religious beliefs were stronger among heart-locators than head-locators. Studies 2 and 3 replicated this relationship in more diverse s…
Does Meaning Motivate Magical Thinking Among Theists and Atheists
Past research indicates that existential threats related to meaning in life increase religious-related magical beliefs (e.g., belief in God). The present three studies examined more broadly whether threatened meaning influences magical ideation and beliefs among atheists and theists. Amazon Mechanical Turk ( N = 1,454) and student participants ( N = 50) were randomly assigned to a meaning threat or control condition and then completed measures of…
What makes life meaningful for theists and atheists
Religion, paranormal beliefs, and meaning in life
Past research finds that individual differences in the need for meaning are positively associated with religiosity and spirituality. In the present study, we sought to expand on past research by examining the relationship between the need for meaning and both traditional religiosity and paranormal beliefs. Does the need for meaning predict paranormal beliefs when controlling for other predictors? We observed that the need for meaning uniquely pre…
Nostalgia restores meaning in life for lonely people
Lonely individuals lack meaning in life. We hypothesized that nostalgia, a bittersweet emotion that entails reflecting sentimentally on the past, helps restore meaning for lonely people. In two studies, we measured trait loneliness, measured state nostalgia (Study 1) or experimentally induced nostalgia (Study 2), and assessed meaning. Results supported the hypothesis: The relation between loneliness and meaning deficits was reduced among nostalgi…
Psychology (15 works) · Social Psychology (13 works) · Psychotherapist (11 works) · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion (7 works) · Epistemology (7 works) · Media Influence and Health (6 works) · Nostalgia and Consumer Behavior (5 works) · Philosophy (5 works) · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology (5 works) · Social Psychology (5 works)