Perspectives on Death: A Developmental Study
- 1 January 1984
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in The Journal of Psychology
- Vol. 116 (1) , 137-142
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1984.9923628
Abstract
While prior research has focused on death anxiety in general, more recent studies have recognized the need for multilevel measures for assessing the fear of death. A 12-item questionnaire used in the present cross-sectional investigation produced three factors—Evaluation of Death in General (Factor I), Belief in the Hereafter (Factor II), and Death Anxiety Related to Self (Factor III). The sample consisted of 874 Ss categorized into six age groups from young adult to old age. A two-way ANOVA on each of the factor scores was performed for the variables age and sex. Middle-age and late middle-age persons were significantly less anxious in regard to Evaluation of Death in General than their younger and older counterparts. Old age groups showed the least Death Anxiety Related to Self. Sex differences were found for Factors II and III. Future research should differentiate the concept of death from the process of dying.Keywords
This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
- Measuring death anxiety: Conceptual, psychometric, and factor-analytic aspects.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1982
- Another look at fear of death.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1981
- The Structure of Death Anxiety: A Factor Analytic StudyJournal of Personality Assessment, 1979
- Relationship between Death Anxiety and Demographic VariablesPsychological Reports, 1975
- Who's afraid of death?Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1973
- Death Concern: Measurement and CorrelatesPsychological Reports, 1972
- Death anxiety: Age, sex, and parental resemblance in diverse populations.Developmental Psychology, 1971
- The Construction and Validation of a Death Anxiety ScaleThe Journal of General Psychology, 1970
- The Fear of Death and the Fear of DyingThe Journal of Psychology, 1969
- Attitudes of Older Persons Toward Death: A Preliminary StudyJournal of Gerontology, 1961