Papers by Kali Carrigan
In this study, an experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis, derived from Terror Management... more In this study, an experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis, derived from Terror Management Theory (TMT), that mortality salience can lead to a trivialization of extrinsically-oriented forms of meaning making, and increased value of intrinsically-oriented ones. This study is based on previous findings by Vail et al. (2012), and Hansen et al. (2010), that the awareness of mortality can lead people to seek more individual and growth-oriented goals, as well as a healthier lifestyle. Based on the previous literature on TMT, the present study suggests that increased mortality salience will increase the relevance of individually-oriented growth and meaning-making strategies, while reducing the relevance of culturally-shaped, extrinsic goals, such as career-driven goals, status, etc. We also sought to explore the range of perceptions of death and dying in terms of their emotional impact and physical characteristics, and people's general attitude to the thought of death and its relation to longevity as a way to assuage that fear. Our results suggest that there is no significant difference in goal motivation between participants in a mortality salient condition and non-mortality salient one. This finding implies that mortality salience might not be affecting goal motivation as previously thought, and that other factors (such as self-esteem, or cultural worldview) might be playing a larger role in the relevance of growth-oriented vs. extrinsically-driven goals.
In this study we examined the influence of the environmental setting on the use of indexical/poin... more In this study we examined the influence of the environmental setting on the use of indexical/pointing gestures in a cooperative communication task. It has been suggested that when the possibility to use deictic gestures is provided, this reduces the emergence of symbolic and iconic gestures in cooperative tasks. Participants in dyads engaged in a gesture communication task similar to " charades " , where they interacted with a partner to communicate simple sentences to each other. The game was played in a naturalistic office setting, where environmental affordances for communication were either included (" rich " condition) or absent (" impoverished " condition). Preliminary results show that being in a rich environment with the possibility to use indexical means of communication, leads to a significantly higher frequency of the use of indexical gestures compared to iconic gestures. This finding supports our prediction that the environment plays a key role in the way we communicate, and furthermore, elucidates the prevalent use of indexical and deictic signs in human communication.
Longevity by Kali Carrigan
Aubrey de Grey answers all your questions about longevity, overpopulation, and the future of reju... more Aubrey de Grey answers all your questions about longevity, overpopulation, and the future of rejuvenation!
Longevity and rejuvenation therapies are becoming a reality, yet we continue to obviate them as v... more Longevity and rejuvenation therapies are becoming a reality, yet we continue to obviate them as viable options. In this article, I explore some common misconceptions about the aims and limits of life-extension research, and the necessity to reconsider it as a worthwhile pursuit which could extend our lifespan indefinitely in the coming years.
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Papers by Kali Carrigan
Longevity by Kali Carrigan