Death Understanding & Attitudes Flashcards
What is the definition of understanding in the context of death?
Understanding refers to the “knowledge of particular thing,” in this case, knowledge about death
What does the term “attitude” mean relation to death?
Attitudes refers to “a feeling or opinion about something, or a way of behaving that is caused by this,” such as one’s feelings or opinions about death
What is Thanatophobia
Thanatophobia is a form of anxiety characterized by a fear of one’s own death or the process of dying, also known as death anxiety
Who wrote “Thoughts for the Times on War and Death,” and what was its significance?
Sigmund Freud wrote this essay in the early 1900s, discussing death anxiety and suggesting that humans are not able to accept mortality
Who was the first psychologist to conduct an empirical study of death attitudes in older persons?
Herman Feifel conducted the first empirical study on the death attitudes of older persons, including World War II veterans
What are the three classic developmental stages of children’s understanding of death
- stage 1 (2-5 years old): cannot distinguish life vs. death
- stage 2 (5-9 years old): Can distinguish life vs. death but not the irreversibility of death
- stage 3 (9-11 years old): Develops understanding of cessation, irreversibility, causality, and universality of death
How does prior experience with death affect children’s understanding?
Children with previous death-related experiences tend to have more realistic depictions of death, and those who discuss death with their families often have better communication skills and less fear of death
What are some common characteristics of death anxiety among adolescents?
Adolescents may have few death experiences, engage in hypothetical thinking about death, worry about dying without a legacy, ad increasingly think about life after death
What is Terror Management Theory (TMT)?
TMT is a social psychological theory suggesting that death anxiety is the underlying mechanism for human culture, including traditions, values, and morals
What are two coping mechanisms proposed by Terror Management Theory to deal with death anxiety?
- Cultural Worldview: A set of beliefs about life providing personal significance and promise of transcending death.
- Self-Esteem: Living up to cultural standards that give a sense of value and protect against death anxiety
What are the five dimensions of the Death Anxiety Questionnaire
- Fear of the unknown
- Fear of suffering
- Fear of loneliness
- Fear of personal extinction
- Miscellaneous factors (e.g., worry about burdening others)
How does gender affect death anxiety
Women generally exhibit higher death anxiety than men, possibly due to being more in touch with their feelings or having more close experiences with death
How does age affect death anxiety?
Younger adults often have higher death anxiety than older adults. In older adults, heightened death anxiety is linked to physical health problems, psychological distress, and weaker religious beliefs
How does religion relate to death anxiety?
The relationship is complex and can vary: some studies show no correlation, others show a negative or positive correlation, and some find a curvilinear relationship where moderate religious involvement results in higher death anxiety
What is the role of death anxiety in psychopathology?
Death anxiety is considered a basic fear underlying various mental disorders like hypochondriasis, panic disorder, separation anxiety, depression, and eating disorders
