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

DEATH & psychology; EXPERIMENTAL design; LIFE course approach; RESEARCH methodology; SOCIAL theory; SOCIAL media; MOBILE apps; FEAR; SHOOTINGS (Crime); LIFE history interviews; ONLINE social networks; LOVE; SOCIAL distancing; DATING (Social customs); ANXIETY; INTENTION; COVID-19 pandemic; MENTAL illness; WORLD Wide Web

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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