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Anxiety buffer disruption theory (ABDT) is an application of terror management theory to explain an individual's reaction to a traumatic event, which leads to post traumatic stress disorder.[1] Terror management theory posits that humans, unlike any other organism, are uniquely aware that death is the inevitable outcome of life. When thoughts of death are made salient, such as when a terrorist attack carries those thoughts into the level of consciousness, humans are subject to debilitating anxiety unless it can be "buffered." Humans respond to the anxiety and dread mortality salience produces by clinging to their cultural worldview, through self-esteem and also close personal relationships.[2] Cultural worldviews, with their cultural norms, religious beliefs and moral values infuse life with meaning. They give life a feeling of normalcy and also a feeling of control. There is no way to definitely prove one's cultural worldview, there they are fragile human constructs and must be maintained. Clinging to a cultural worldview and self-esteem buffer the anxiety connected to thoughts of mortality.[3] When thoughts of death are salient, humans are drawn to their cultural world view which "stipulates appropriate social requirements, and standards for valued conduct, while instilling one's life with meaning, order and permanence."[1]
When a traumatic experience cannot be assimilated into a currently held cultural worldview, the anxiety-buffering mechanisms are disrupted.[4] ABDT argues that individuals face overwhelming anxiety which leads to the symptoms of PTSD including re-experiencing, hyper-arousal, avoidance and disassociation.[5][6] The dissociation causes atypical responses to mortality salience compared with individuals who do not have an anxiety buffer disruption.[1] When the anxiety buffer disruption is mild, exaggerated coping responses, such as rejecting or taking offense at other cultures, is expected. When the anxiety buffer disruption is severe, there can be a total breakdown of coping mechanisms.[7] The theory was proposed by Tom Pyszczynski and Pelin Kesebir.[1]
^ abcdPyszczynski, T., & Kesebir, P. (2011). Anxiety buffer disruption theory: A terror management account of posttraumatic stress disorder. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 24(1), 3–26.
^Miller, C. & Landau, M. (2005) Communication and terrorism: a terror management theory perspective. Communication Research Reports. Vol. 22 Nos 1–4 pages 79–88.
^Luo, S., Shi, Z., Yang, X., Wang., X. & Han, S. (2014) Reminders of mortality decrease midcingulate activity in response to others' suffering. SCAN (9) 477–486.
^Edmondson, D., Chaudoir, S. R., Mills, M. A., Park, C. L., Holub, J., & Bartkowiak, J. M. (2011). From shattered assumptions to weakened worldviews: Trauma symptoms signal anxiety buffer disruption. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 16(4), 358–385.
^Pyszczynski, T., & Kesebir, P. Anxiety buffer disruption theory: a terror management account of posttraumatic stress disorder. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping. Vol 24. No. 1, Jan. 2011, 3–26.
^Abdollahi, A., Maxfield, M., Pyszczynski, T, & Luxzezynski, A. Posttraumatic stress reactions as a disruption in anxiety-buffer functioning: dissociation and responses to mortality salience as predictors of severity of posttraumatic symptoms. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy. 2011, Vol. 3, Nov. 4, 329–341.
^Abdollahi, A., Pyszczynski, T., Maxfield, M., & Luszczynska, A. (2011). Posttraumatic stress reactions as a disruption in anxiety-buffer functioning: Dissociation and responses to mortality salience as predictors of severity of posttraumatic symptoms. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 3(4), 329.
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