Fear of Personal Death and Positive Life Regard

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Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to investigate differences among college students from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds in their fear of personal death and positive life regard. A total of 280 American subjects from six ethnic groups (Chinese, Mexican, Vietnamese, Black, White/Christian, White/Jewish), filled out the Fear of Personal Death Scale (Florian & Kravitz, 1983) and the Life Regard Index (Battista & Almond, 1973). Results indicated that compared to other ethnic groups. Vietnamese Americans received higher scores on certain aspects of the fear of personal death and lower scores on the Life Regard Index. Compared to other religious groups, Asian-Americans of the Buddhist faith expressed higher concern over the consequences of death to family and friends and fear of punishment in the hereafter, and lower positive life regard. An expected relationship was found between fear of death and positive life regard, but only among White/Caucasian and Black participants, This and other findings are discussed in the context of the applicability of previous research findings to diverse ethnic and religious-affiliated groups.

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