Fascination with Death as a Function of Need for Novel Stimulation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13628965 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Robert J Schafer (0000-0002-0874-830X, San Jose State University, corresponding author), Robert Schafer (San Jose State University) |
| Year | 1976 |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 45-50 |
| Publication date | 1976-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.2190/b248-nv5r-rmqn-emjw |
| OpenAlex | W2041167864 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 18 |
Optimal stimulation theory suggests that when an organism's level of stimulus input falls below its optimal range, the organism is then motivated to return its neurological excitation to its optimal range. If contemporary American society produces individuals who maintain a sense of boredom, powerlessness, and alienation, then they may possibly derive stimulation and consequently importance from highly arousing novel experiences such as violence and death. To test this hypothesis, boredom, alienation and stimulus-seeking were assumed to be indicative of decreased response to principle stimulation sources. Students were grouped into high/low variable groups. An author developed scale measured fascination with death. An analysis of variance revealed that persons both highly bored and highly alienated were indeed more interested in death-related events
Alienation · Boredom · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Political science · Stimulation · Stimulus (psychology · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Law · Neuroscience · Psychological and Educational Research Studies · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,05 |
| Citation span | 1985 - 1990 (6) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |