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The concept of offspring provides a symbolic shield against the fear of death. The existential function of offspring was examined in two studies conducted in China employing real-life dependent measures. In Study 1, reminders of death through a word-completion task increased the disapproval of a birth-control policy in China. In Study 2, hospitalized patients generally preferred young family members more than other family members. Cancer patients showed this preference to a greater extent than non-cancer patients. Taken together, the findings showed that the death-anxiety-buffering function of offspring affects people's judgments and desires in real-life settings.
Zhou et al. (Fri,) studied this question.