Using the Templer Scale to Assess “Death Anxiety:” A Cautionary Note

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Abstract
This note's purpose is to argue against the continued use of the Templer (1970) Death Anxiety Scale, which has become the most widely used measure of death attitudes. Recent findings indicate that the scale has from 3 to 5 separate factors; total scores cannot be interpreted as a straightforward measure of death anxiety. Data may not be psychologically comparable across studies because it cannot be determined how multiple factorial components contribute to obtained scale scores. Alternatives are suggested.