How do People Grow from their Experience with Trauma or Loss?

Several studies of people coping with loss or trauma suggest that posttraumatic growth is common. Recent studies cast doubt on the meaning of such reports of growth, suggesting that the perception of growth may be illusory. From this perspective, perceiving growth may protect or buffer one from reminders of mortality. Using a modified Terror Management paradigm, the authors conducted two experiments involving 89 college students. The data from Study 1 (n = 46) indicate that a brief recall of a traumatic episode from one's past leads one subsequently to more strongly affirm that one's life is meaningful relative to a control group. The results of Study 2 (n = 43) indicate that reminders of death in conjunction with a threat to one's benign view of the world lead people to exaggerate the extent to which their life seems meaningful. It is argued that in the context of loss, people may actively seek positives or gains to defend against mortality threats engendered by the experience, and, if found, serve to promote the belief that life is meaningful.